North Korea agrees to scrap nuclear program for aid

In a move that took the world by surprise, North Korea declared on Wednesday that it would suspend its nuclear program. This includes uranium enrichment activities, nuclear weapon tests and all facilities related to the program. It has further agreed to International monitoring at its main Yongbyon nuclear complex. In exchange, North Korea would receive 240,000 tons of nutritional assistance from the United States.

It is believed that the aid would include beans, vegetable oils, corn-soy blend including ready-to-eat food. It has been confirmed that the distribution of food would be carried out under intensive monitoring to ensure that it reaches hungry civilians instead of North Korean military or government elites.

Putting a stop to North Korea nuclear program has been a long-time agenda of the United States. The effort gained momentum during the tenure of former President George W. Bush four years ago only to fizzle out in the later years. Wednesday’s development has finally ended a diplomatic stand-off between North Korea and the United States.

Late last year, the demise of Kim Jong-il and accession of Kim Jong II to power grabbed the attention of the globe. Since then the world has been watching with interest to see if the change in guard would bring any policy change in North Korea. It is only recently Mr. Kim has gone on verbal offensive against South Korea. His complete volte-face has surprised the world.

For the latest North Korea nuclear agreement to be successful, much is dependent on the commitment of Kim Jong II. He not only has to ensure that the country’s current nuclear program is scrapped, but also International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) nuclear experts get unrestricted access to Yongbon nuclear complex in North Korea.