Seals and surveillance equipment set by the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) have been removed from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
(DPRK)'s reprocessing plant in Yongbyon, IAEA spokesperson Mellissa Fleming said
here Wednesday.
This indicates that DPRK's nuclear facility will no longer be under IAEA's
supervision.
IAEA diplomats noted that the IAEA inspectors have removed about 100 seals
and over 20 cameras from Yongbyon's nuclear facility as required by DPRK
government.
The "IAEA inspectors will have no further access to the reprocessing plant"
in Yongbyon now, Fleming confirmed Wednesday.
The DPRK said that it has stopped disabling its nuclear reactor in Yongbyon
on August 26. The Foreign Ministry of the country announced on Sept. 19 that it
is working to restart its nuclear facility in Yongbyon according to the "action
for action principle."
The IAEA General Director Mohammed ElBaradei confirmed here Monday that the
DPRK has required IAEA inspectors to remove seals and surveillance equipment
from related facilities.
According to a document reached in the Six Party Talks on DPRK's nuclear
issue last October, the DPRK submitted a declaration about its nuclear
activities this June and blew down the nuclear cooling tower in Yongbyon, but
the United States has not taken any substantial steps in removing DPRK from the
U.S. list of "state sponsors of terrorism" as promised.
The diplomats and media here pointed out that DPRK reactivates its nuclear
facility so as to show its dissatisfaction that the United States has no
intention to keep its promise and takes counter measures according to the
"action for action principle."
Some countries including the United States have shown disappointment and
concern about DPRK's movement. A European diplomat pointed out that it is not a
piece of good news in view of non-proliferation, but he "would rather consider
this as a tactics action" and "at present it is important to understand the
DPRK."