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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| N Korea 'rebuilds nuclear plant' | N Korea 'rebuilds nuclear plant' |
| (39 minutes later) | |
| North Korea has begun reassembling a nuclear plant, reversing steps taken under an international deal to end its nuclear programme, South Korea says. | North Korea has begun reassembling a nuclear plant, reversing steps taken under an international deal to end its nuclear programme, South Korea says. |
| South Korea's foreign ministry said the countries involved in the six-party nuclear negotiations were working closely to determine their response. | South Korea's foreign ministry said the countries involved in the six-party nuclear negotiations were working closely to determine their response. |
| Pyongyang warned last month that it had stopped disabling the Yongbyon plant. | Pyongyang warned last month that it had stopped disabling the Yongbyon plant. |
| It accused the US of breaking an agreement to remove it from a list of states that sponsor terrorism. | It accused the US of breaking an agreement to remove it from a list of states that sponsor terrorism. |
| The removal from the list was part of the package promised to North Korea but it has not yet been carried out. | The removal from the list was part of the package promised to North Korea but it has not yet been carried out. |
| US scepticism | |
| Although the disabling process is well advanced, it is reversible. Experts believe the North's facilities could be back up and running within a year. | |
| Former UN weapons inspector David Albright says the reactor at Yongbyon is mostly intact. | |
| Q&A: N Korea nuclear dealTimeline: N Korea stand-off | |
| But he said the regime would need to manufacture hundreds - possibly thousands - of fuel rods and rebuild a cooling tower that was blown up in June to get it fully operational. | |
| He believes the North is unlikely to rebuild the plant, but is instead using the threat as a bargaining chip to gain more concessions from the six-party talks, which involve North and South Korea, the US, China, Russia and Japan. | |
| The US state department also expressed scepticism over the latest claims from Pyongyang. | |
| Department official Paula DeSutter told reporters that the North Koreans "like to posture". | |
| In June, North Korea finally submitted a long-delayed account of its nuclear facilities - and was expecting to be removed from the US list almost immediately in return. | In June, North Korea finally submitted a long-delayed account of its nuclear facilities - and was expecting to be removed from the US list almost immediately in return. |
| But the US said that would not be possible until North Korea agreed to inspections aimed at verifying the details that it had disclosed. | But the US said that would not be possible until North Korea agreed to inspections aimed at verifying the details that it had disclosed. |
| That move has been delayed amid wrangling among the six parties over exactly how these details can be verified. | |
| The North began disabling the Yongbyon plant in November but stopped in late August in protest at the delay. | |
| Seoul confirmed reports earlier on Wednesday from Japan's public broadcaster NHK and Kyodo news agency that the North had started reassembling the facilities. | Seoul confirmed reports earlier on Wednesday from Japan's public broadcaster NHK and Kyodo news agency that the North had started reassembling the facilities. |