N.K. asks IAEA to remove seals

North Korea has asked the International Atomic Energy Agency to remove cameras and seals placed at its main atomic facilities, the agency`s chief said on Monday.

"This morning (North Korea) asked the agency`s inspectors to remove seals and surveillance equipment to enable them to carry out tests at the reprocessing plant, which they say will not involve nuclear material," ElBaradei said to the organization`s board of governors in Vienna.

A senior diplomat close to the IAEA said: "Seals have been taken off."

On Friday, Hyun Hak-bong, deputy director of the North Korean Foreign Ministry`s U.S. affairs department, said the North has already begun work for restoring its nuclear facilities in the Yongbyon nuclear complex.

Pyongyang recently reneged on a six-way aid-for-denuclearization deal, complaining of Washington`s delay in removing it from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.

In the deal, the United States had agreed to remove North Korea from the list in exchange for the North`s complete declaration of its nuclear programs. North Korea, though, refuses to agree to a verification of its claims. Washington maintains that verification is a vital part of the declaration process.

"Agency inspectors have observed that some equipment previously removed by North Korea during the disablement process has been brought back. This has not changed the shutdown status of the nuclear facilities at Yongbyon," ElBaradei said.

On Sunday - amid growing signs of a more irritable Pyongyang - South Korea and the United States agreed to make concerted efforts to avoid deepening the current nuclear standoff.

Kim Sook, Seoul`s chief nuclear negotiator, and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill promised to mobilize collective efforts to bring North Korea back to the six-party talks as soon as possible. They also agreed not to cut off their economic and energy aid to the North for the time being.

"We discussed how to prevent a further aggravation of the status in the six-party talks, and make (the North) return to the disablement process and complete the second phase of disablement. Also discussed was how to finalize the verification protocol with North Korea," Kim Sook told reporters after the one-hour closed-door meeting.

Hill repeatedly said that the six-way talks are in a difficult situation. But, he said the U.S. government would continue efforts to try to convince Pyongyang to cooperating with a plan to verify its recent nuclear declaration.

"The key principle is that the verification protocol we are seeking should be based on scientific and international standards," Kim said.

But Kim said Seoul and Washington were open to negotiating with Pyongyang on other details, including modification of some sensitive terminology used in the description of the verification mechanism.

The two countries are engaged in consultations to revise some of the wording, which Pyongyang strongly objects to, Seoul sources said. Such terms include "sampling" and "international standards," they said.

By taking into account that Pyongyang has placed serious importance on face-saving, it seems the two countries intend to revive the stalled nuclear talks, analysts say. An alteration of such wordings may allay the North`s resistance to the verification framework, they said.

The negotiators also agreed to reserve the option to suspend the planned aid to the North, apparently so as not to provoke the communist country.

"For now, there is no clear plan on halting or postponing aid to North Korea. There was no concrete discussion on the issue." Kim said.

However, Kim added the decision may change depending on how the situation will proceed.

"Certainly, the economic and energy assistance for North Korea is part of a scheme based on an action-for-action principle," Kim said.



By Jin Dae-woong and news reports



(davidpooh@heraldm.com)