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UN 'will visit' N Korea reactor Monitors 'to see N Korea reactor'
(about 3 hours later)
A team of UN nuclear inspectors will visit the North Korean nuclear reactor at the centre of a key disarmament deal, Kyodo news agency reports. A team of UN nuclear inspectors will soon be allowed to visit the North Korean reactor at the centre of a key disarmament deal, reports say.
"We're going to Yongbyon," said team leader Olli Heinonen, adding that they would go on Thursday and return to the capital, Pyongyang, on Friday. It will be first international monitoring team to be given access to the Yongbyon reactor since 2002.
North Korea has pledged to close the Yongbyon reactor in return for aid. Correspondents say the move is highly significant - a sign that the North Koreans are serious about their pledge to "shut down and seal" the reactor.
South Korea's foreign minister said on Wednesday he was confident the reactor would shut "as early as possible". The pledge was part of an international deal agreed in February.
The four-person team from the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency arrived in Pyongyang on Tuesday, the first such visit since 2002. The leader of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team, Olli Heinonen, told Japan's Kyodo news agency "We're going to Yongbyon."
It comes after a long delay in the implementation of a nuclear disarmament deal agreed in February. He added that the four-person IAEA team would go to the facility on Thursday and return to Pyongyang, where they are currently holding meetings, on Friday.
N KOREAN BANKING ROW 13 Feb 2007: Landmark nuclear disarmament deal agreed at six-party talksMarch: N Korea refuses further progress on the deal until it has access to funds frozen in a Macau bankApril: N Korea misses a deadline to "shut down and seal" its Yongbyon nuclear reactor 25 June: Pyongyang finally says it has the funds26 June: IAEA nuclear inspectors arrive in Pyongyang N KOREA NUCLEAR DEAL N Korea to "shut down and seal" Yongbyon reactor, then disable all nuclear facilitiesIn return, will be given 1m tons of heavy fuel oilN Korea to invite IAEA back to monitor dealUnder earlier 2005 deal, N Korea agreed to end nuclear programme and return to non-proliferation treatyN Korea's demand for light water reactor to be discussed at "appropriate time" class="" href="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/2604437.stm">N Korea timeline
The agreement was stalled by a row over North Korean funds that were frozen in a Macau bank under US-instigated sanctions. IAEA monitoring officials were expelled from Yongbyon in December 2002, after which the reactor went into operation, allegedly producing enough plutonium for several nuclear devices.
The North refused to make any progress on the deal until it had access to the money. While news of a possible return visit is an important step forward, questions remain over the level of access the inspectors will be given.
On Monday, Pyongyang said it had finally received its $25m (£12.5m) funds, and confirmed it would proceed to close down Yongbyon, its main nuclear reactor. The Yongbyon plant, about 100km (65 miles) north of Pyongyang, is thought to be a heavily guarded area defended by anti-aircraft positions, and the compound houses over 100 buildings.
Expanding relationsExpanding relations
The EU delegation which returned to the South Korean capital, Seoul, on Wednesday brought back a positive message that the North was serious about its nuclear decommissioning. A European Union delegation has also recently visited Pyongyang, and returned voicing optimism that the North Koreans were serious about nuclear decommissioning.
EU parliamentarian Hubert Pirker said the North Korean officials were positive about relations with the US and the international community. EU parliamentarian Hubert Pirker - part of a group that returned to South Korea from the North on Wednesday - said Pyongyang officials were positive about relations with the US and the international community.
N KOREA NUCLEAR DEAL N Korea to "shut down and seal" Yongbyon reactor, then disable all nuclear facilitiesIn return, will be given 1m tons of heavy fuel oilN Korea to invite IAEA back to monitor dealUnder earlier 2005 deal, N Korea agreed to end nuclear programme and return to non-proliferation treatyN Korea's demand for light water reactor to be discussed at "appropriate time" class="" href="/1/hi/business/6723981.stm">Q&A: The bank row class="" href="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/2604437.stm">N Korea timeline The South Korean foreign minister also sounded a positive note on Wednesday, predicting a short timescale for the closure of Yongbyon.
The South Korean foreign minister also sounded a positive note on the timetable for closing Yongbyon.
"After the consultation is over, I think it will be shut down as early as possible," said Song Min-soon."After the consultation is over, I think it will be shut down as early as possible," said Song Min-soon.
In North Korea, Pyongyang officials expressed interest in expanding economic ties with the EU and said they hoped to work together on building hydro-electric power stations, developing light industry and improving food production, Mr Pirker said. Pyongyang officials had also expressed interest in expanding economic ties with the EU, on building hydro-electric power stations, developing light industry and improving food production, Mr Pirker said.
Food aid The various visits to North Korea this week became possible after a long-running row between the US and North Korea was finally resolved.
South Korea said on Tuesday that it would resume food aid to the impoverished North, now that the dispute over frozen North Korean funds had been solved. Progress on the February disarmament deal - in which the North promised to "shut down and seal" Yongbyon in return for international aid - ground to a halt due to a dispute over North Korean funds that were frozen in a Macau bank under US-instigated sanctions.
The deliveries of rice to the country, which is still struggling with food shortages, are expected to start on 30 June. The North refused to make any progress on the deal until it had access to the money.
The entire shipment of 400,000 tonnes of food is expected to take about six months to complete. But after weeks of negotiations, Pyongyang said on Monday that it had finally received its $25m (£12.5m) funds, and confirmed it would therefore proceed to close down Yongbyon.
South Korea suspended food aid shipments a year ago after its northern neighbour test-fired long range missiles, before then testing a nuclear weapon in October. South Korea said on Tuesday that it would resume food aid to the impoverished North, now that the dispute was over.
Seoul had intended to resume the shipments in April after February's deal, but put them on hold while the nuclear issue was in doubt.