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N Korea warned over nuclear move | N Korea warned over nuclear move |
(about 2 hours later) | |
The US has urged North Korea to reconsider its decision to bar UN monitors from its main nuclear complex. | The US has urged North Korea to reconsider its decision to bar UN monitors from its main nuclear complex. |
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said restarting its nuclear programme would deepen Pyongyang's isolation, but she added that talks were not dead. | Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said restarting its nuclear programme would deepen Pyongyang's isolation, but she added that talks were not dead. |
The UN's atomic watchdog earlier said it had removed seals and surveillance cameras from part of the Yongbyon plant at North Korea's request. | The UN's atomic watchdog earlier said it had removed seals and surveillance cameras from part of the Yongbyon plant at North Korea's request. |
The move comes amid a dispute over an international disarmament-for-aid deal. | The move comes amid a dispute over an international disarmament-for-aid deal. |
North Korea said it planned to restart nuclear activities earlier this month because the US had not fulfilled its part of the deal to remove Pyongyang from its terrorism blacklist. | |
class="" href="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6908123.stm">Satellite view of nuclear site The White House said that would only happen when North Korea allowed monitors to verify claims it had made about its nuclear arms programme. | |
The UN nuclear inspectors have been expelled from the most sensitive part of the Yongbyon facility: the reprocessing plant which can be used to make weapons-grade plutonium. | |
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that Pyongyang intended to introduce nuclear material at the facility next week. | The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that Pyongyang intended to introduce nuclear material at the facility next week. |
Its inspectors had been observing the process to shut down Yongbyon - as part of a deal struck in six-party talks with South Korea, the US, China, Russia and Japan. | Its inspectors had been observing the process to shut down Yongbyon - as part of a deal struck in six-party talks with South Korea, the US, China, Russia and Japan. |
Ms Rice said that discussions with the North on its obligations for denuclearisation were "by no means" dead. | Ms Rice said that discussions with the North on its obligations for denuclearisation were "by no means" dead. |
"We've been through ups and downs in this process before. The important thing is that this is a six-party process and that means there other states that are carrying the same message," she said. | "We've been through ups and downs in this process before. The important thing is that this is a six-party process and that means there other states that are carrying the same message," she said. |
Symbolic gesture | Symbolic gesture |
Pyongyang began dismantling the reactor last November. | Pyongyang began dismantling the reactor last November. |
It was expecting to be removed from the US terror list after submitting a long-delayed account of its nuclear facilities to the international talks in June, in accordance with the disarmament deal it signed in 2007. | It was expecting to be removed from the US terror list after submitting a long-delayed account of its nuclear facilities to the international talks in June, in accordance with the disarmament deal it signed in 2007. |
It also blew up the main cooling tower at Yongbyon in a symbolic gesture of its commitment to the process. | It also blew up the main cooling tower at Yongbyon in a symbolic gesture of its commitment to the process. |
However, the US said it would not remove North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism until procedures by which the North's disarmament would be verified were established. | However, the US said it would not remove North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism until procedures by which the North's disarmament would be verified were established. |
The North has been locked in international discussions for years over its nuclear ambitions. | The North has been locked in international discussions for years over its nuclear ambitions. |
North and South Korea have been technically at war since their 1950-53 conflict ended without a peace treaty. | North and South Korea have been technically at war since their 1950-53 conflict ended without a peace treaty. |
Fuel rods | Fuel rods |
Experts say the Yongbyon plant could take up to a year to bring back into commission, so there will be no new plutonium production for a while. | Experts say the Yongbyon plant could take up to a year to bring back into commission, so there will be no new plutonium production for a while. |
However, there is plenty already available in the form of the spent fuel rods, taken from the reactor core, but only removed to a water-cooled tank on the site, says the BBC's John Sudworth in Seoul. | However, there is plenty already available in the form of the spent fuel rods, taken from the reactor core, but only removed to a water-cooled tank on the site, says the BBC's John Sudworth in Seoul. |
It is this nuclear material that will now be introduced into the separate plutonium reprocessing plant, according to the information given to the IAEA. | It is this nuclear material that will now be introduced into the separate plutonium reprocessing plant, according to the information given to the IAEA. |
Some estimates suggest the fuel rods could yield about 6kg (13lbs) of plutonium within two to three months - enough for one atomic bomb to add to North Korea's existing stockpile. | Some estimates suggest the fuel rods could yield about 6kg (13lbs) of plutonium within two to three months - enough for one atomic bomb to add to North Korea's existing stockpile. |
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