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| NK restores nuclear site access | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| UN monitors have confirmed that North Korea has restored their access to the Yongbyon nuclear site, including the plutonium reprocessing plant. | |
| The decision comes a day after Pyongyang pledged to resume work to disable the plant. | The decision comes a day after Pyongyang pledged to resume work to disable the plant. |
| On Saturday, the country was taken off the US list of countries regarded as sponsoring terrorism. | |
| In a statement, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said monitoring should resume on Tuesday. | |
| IAEA inspectors would start overseeing "core discharge activities" at the Yongbyon reactor on Tuesday, a spokeswoman said. | |
| Reuters news agency quoted a diplomat as saying the first job of the inspectors would be to reassess the status of the nuclear facilities since recent steps taken to reactivate them. | Reuters news agency quoted a diplomat as saying the first job of the inspectors would be to reassess the status of the nuclear facilities since recent steps taken to reactivate them. |
| Japan critical | Japan critical |
| Pyongyang began disabling its Yongbyon nuclear reactor in August, as part of an international deal, but recently it made moves to reassemble the plant after the US initially refused to remove North Korea from the terror blacklist. | Pyongyang began disabling its Yongbyon nuclear reactor in August, as part of an international deal, but recently it made moves to reassemble the plant after the US initially refused to remove North Korea from the terror blacklist. |
| On Saturday the US state department said North Korea had agreed to allow nuclear experts to take samples and conduct forensic tests at all its declared nuclear facilities and undeclared sites, prompting Washington to reverse its decision. | On Saturday the US state department said North Korea had agreed to allow nuclear experts to take samples and conduct forensic tests at all its declared nuclear facilities and undeclared sites, prompting Washington to reverse its decision. |
| The North would also allow inspectors to verify its denials about transfers of nuclear technology and an alleged uranium programme, it said. | The North would also allow inspectors to verify its denials about transfers of nuclear technology and an alleged uranium programme, it said. |
| South Korea hailed the US decision to remove the North from its blacklist, saying it would help lead to its "eventual abandonment of its nuclear programmes". | South Korea hailed the US decision to remove the North from its blacklist, saying it would help lead to its "eventual abandonment of its nuclear programmes". |
| But Japan criticised the move. Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa said Tokyo first wanted North Korea to provide more information about Japanese citizens it abducted in the 1970s and 1980s, in what he said amounted to terrorist acts. | But Japan criticised the move. Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa said Tokyo first wanted North Korea to provide more information about Japanese citizens it abducted in the 1970s and 1980s, in what he said amounted to terrorist acts. |
| North Korea has admitted to kidnapping 13 Japanese civilians to train its spies. Japan believes the figures could be higher and is sceptical about North Korea's claim that all but five are now dead. | North Korea has admitted to kidnapping 13 Japanese civilians to train its spies. Japan believes the figures could be higher and is sceptical about North Korea's claim that all but five are now dead. |