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N Korea nuclear seals 'removed' N Korea nuclear seals 'removed'
(20 minutes later)
Seals that prevented North Korea from using its main nuclear plant at Yongbyon have been removed, the UN's atomic watchdog says. The UN's atomic watchdog says it has removed seals and surveillance cameras from North Korea's main nuclear complex at Pyongyang's request.
North Korean officials have also said that UN inspectors will have no further access to the Yongbyon plant. North Korea says the move is part of a plan to reactivate the Yongbyon plant, and that it plans to return nuclear material to the site next week.
The move comes amid a dispute over an international disarmament-for-aid deal for North Korea. The move comes amid a dispute over an international disarmament-for-aid deal.
Pyongyang says Washington has not taken it off a list of state sponsors of terrorism, as previously promised. A similar step in 2002 sparked a crisis which eventually resulted in Pyongyang testing a nuclear weapon in 2006.
North Korea has also told UN inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that "they plan to introduce nuclear material to the reprocessing plant in one week's time", IAEA spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said. The removal of seals and cameras "was completed today", a spokeswoman for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said.
The removal of seals and cameras "was completed today", Ms Fleming said, adding: "There are no more IAEA seals and surveillance equipment in place at the reprocessing facility." "There are no more IAEA seals and surveillance equipment in place at the reprocessing facility," she added.
Symbolic gestureSymbolic gesture
Pyongyang began dismantling the reactor last November, but on Friday it announced that it was working to reactivate it.Pyongyang began dismantling the reactor last November, but on Friday it announced that it was working to reactivate it.
Pyongyang was expecting to be removed from the US terror list after submitting a long-delayed account of its nuclear facilities to the international talks in June, in accordance with the disarmament deal it signed in 2007. North Korea was expecting to be removed from the US terror list after submitting a long-delayed account of its nuclear facilities to the international talks in June, in accordance with the disarmament deal it signed in 2007.
It also blew up the main cooling tower at Yongbyon in a symbolic gesture of its commitment to the process.It also blew up the main cooling tower at Yongbyon in a symbolic gesture of its commitment to the process.
However, the US said it would not remove North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism until procedures by which the North's disarmament would be verified were established.However, the US said it would not remove North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism until procedures by which the North's disarmament would be verified were established.
The removal of similar seals in December 2002 sparked a long-running crisis which resulted in Pyongyang testing an atomic weapon in 2006.