North Korea: North Korea appears to be taking steps to shut down its Yongbyon nuclear reactor, the source of its weapons-grade plutonium, according to intelligence reports that will fuel hopes Pyongyang is preparing to uphold its end of an ambitious denuclearisation deal.
Three days after the April 14th deadline for shutting down the reactor passed, South Korean media yesterday reported that intelligence services had spotted signs of uncharacteristic movements at the nuclear reactor, north of Pyongyang.
The news comes as a South Korean delegation is due in the North Korean capital today for talks on the resumption of humanitarian aid, suspended after last year's missile tests but which was to be restarted with progress on the nuclear issue.
"The Yongbyon nuclear reactor is still operating but there were some unusual signs of activity near the reactor last week, so we are analysing them," Yonhap news agency quoted an intelligence official saying.
Under the February denuclearisation agreement, Pyongyang was supposed to shut down the reactor by last Saturday but it delayed keeping its side of the bargain after complications with retrieving North Korean-related money from a Macao bank.
North Korea had pledged to invite International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors to oversee the shutdown within a day of receiving its $25 million (€18.4 million).
North Korea is set to receive 50,000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil from South Korea in return for completing the initial actions. Seoul has bought the oil and hired the tanker to transport it. Pyongyang stands to gain another 950,000 tonnes for completely disabling the reactor.
North Korea has requested 400,000 tonnes of rice from the South and Seoul has linked aid to progress on the nuclear issue, suggesting that actions by North Korea could help secure the much-needed food aid. Fertiliser aid was resumed after inter-Korean talks last month.
- (Financial Times service)