"Given the fact that the DPRK has fulfilled all its commitments, the full implementation of the February 13 agreement depends on how the other five participating countries of the six-party talks honor their commitments on the principle of 'action for action' and on what practical measures the United States and Japan, in particular, will take to roll back their hostile policies toward the DPRK," the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported, citing a spokesman of the DPRK Foreign Ministry.

The spokesman made the remarks in an answer to the question put by KCNA on the country's shutdown of its Yongbyon nuclear facilities.

The DPRK confirmed yesterday that it had shut down its Yongbyon nuclear facilities after receiving the first shipment of heavy oil from South Korea, and allowed members of the International Atomic Energy Agency to verify and monitor the shutdown and sealing of the facilities.

The Yongbyon reactor, located some 90 km north of Pyongyang, is regarded as the DPRK's leading nuclear research center.

Under the February agreement reached during the six-party talks, the DPRK pledged to shut down the Yongbyon reactor within 60 days in exchange for 50,000 tons of heavy fuel oil or equivalent aid.

"The provision of substitute energy including heavy oil is by no means 'aid' in the form of charity but compensation for the DPRK's suspension of its nuclear facilities," the spokesman said.

"And the activities of the IAEA in Yongbyon are not 'inspection' but limited to verification and monitoring," the spokesman added.