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This DigitalGlobe satellite image shot 11 September, 2005 shows a nuclear reactor site in Yongbyon, North Korea. North Korea has shut down its Yongbyon nuclear facilities, the United States said on Saturday./AFP
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A U.S. State Department spokesman says North Korea has announced it has shut down its main nuclear reactor, just as United Nations inspectors have arrived in the country to monitor the process.
In a statement Saturday, spokesman Sean McCormack said Washington welcomes Pyongyang's move to close its Yongbyon nuclear facility. He added that the U.S. is looking forward to having UN nuclear inspectors verify and monitor the shutdown.
After arriving in Pyongyang today, the chief of the team of International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors Adel Tolba said the group was on its way to the Yongbyon reactor.
North Korea's long-awaited move also follows the arrival today of a small shipment (6,200 tons) of fuel oil from South Korea. Pyongyang previously said that it would not shut down the facility until that shipment arrived.
Participants in the six-party talks agreed in February to provide fuel aid (50,000 tons) and political concessions to the North in exchange for its pledge to dismantle its nuclear programs.
In his statement, McCormack also said the U.S. was also looking forward to working with all parties to make progress toward implementing the next phase of the February agreement.
After shutting down its main facility, Pyongyang has pledged to disclose and disable all of its nuclear programs in exchange for humanitarian assistance equivalent to one million tons of heavy fuel oil.
Delegates from the six nations are to meet next Wednesday in Beijing to continue their discussion of the disarmament process.
VOA News
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