UN inspectors have confirmed that the Democratic People's Republic of
Korea has shut down its Yongbyon nuclear reactor, the head of the UN nuclear
watchdog said today.
UN inspectors "verified the shutting down of the reactor yesterday," said
Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The DPRK has cooperated with the inspectors, said ElBaradei, who described
the shutdown as a "good step in the right direction."
The DPRK said yesterday that it had shut down its Yongbyon nuclear facilities
after receiving the first shipment of heavy oilfrom South Korea, and allowed
members of the IAEA inspectors to verify and monitor the sealing of the
facilities.
The Yongbyon reactor, located 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.
