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Nuclear Envoys to Discuss North Korea's Plans for Disabled Reactor

By VOA News
05 September 2008

Countries involved in talks on North Korea's nuclear weapons program meet Friday to discuss Pyongyang's announcement that it may restore a disabled nuclear plant.

The chief U.S. nuclear negotiator, Christopher Hill, has left the United States for talks in Beijing with representatives from China, South Korean and Japan. Russia, the fifth country involved in negotiations with North Korea, is not expected to attend.

South Korean envoy Kim Sook says it is crucial to "break the deadlock" as soon as possible so North Korea can resume dismantling the plant, and return to the six-party talks.

Pyongyang announced last week that it had halted disablement at its main nuclear complex in mid-August and is considering restoring the reactor, after Washington failed to remove North Korea from a list of state sponsors of terrorism.

But the United States has dismissed reports in South Korean media that the North has already begun reassembling the plutonium reactor. The U.S. State Department said Thursday that there is still no indication that North Korea has begun rebuilding.

U.S. monitors at the Yongbyon complex have observed North Korean workers returning equipment to its previous location. But State Department spokesman Robert Wood said the equipment is not operational.

Wood also said North Korea has not placed any new restrictions on the U.S. monitors' movement at Yongbyon complex.

A White House spokeswoman said Thursday that the Bush administration hopes Friday's meeting will provide some clarity on North Korea's plan for the nuclear site. She said the U.S. is committed to taking North Korea off the terrorism sponsors list, but only after Pyongyang agrees to a plan to verify the information it has provided about its nuclear activities.

Pyongyang agreed to disassemble the Yongbyon site as part of an agreement reached in six-nation talks on its nuclear weapons program. At six-nation talks in July, a draft proposal for the inspection of North Korea's nuclear facilities was put on the negotiating table. Pyongyang has yet to respond to it.S

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.