朝鲜表示，为朝鲜第一座轻水核反应堆提炼浓缩铀的工作正在取得进展，这使人们再度担心这个有争议的项目可能被用来制造核武器。朝鲜外务省发言人星期三说，朝鲜的“试验性”铀浓缩项目正在取得迅速进展。
朝鲜一年前公开展示了其宁边核设施的一座低浓度铀工厂，并说这座工厂将被用来发电。但一些西方观察人士担心，这个设施可以被轻易转为生产能用来制造核弹的高度浓缩铀。美国国务卿希拉里·克林顿星期三在韩国城市釜山举行的一次援助会议上说，平壤应当继续努力放弃其核项目以及改善与韩国的关系。
North Korea says it is making progress in producing enriched uranium for its light-water nuclear reactor, raising fresh concerns that the controversial project could be used to develop atomic weapons. A North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Wednesday that the country's "experimental" uranium enrichment program is "progressing apace."
North Korea unveiled its low-enriched uranium plant a year ago at its atomic complex in Yongbyon, saying it would be used to generate electricity. But some Western observers fear the facility could easily be converted to produce highly-enriched uranium that can be used in nuclear bombs.U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday at an aid conference in the South Korean city of Busan that Pyongyang should continue efforts to abandon its nuclear program and improve relations with South Korea.
