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N Korea nuclear seals 'removed' | N Korea nuclear seals 'removed' |
(20 minutes later) | |
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 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. | |
A similar step in 2002 sparked a crisis which eventually resulted in Pyongyang testing a nuclear weapon in 2006. | |
The removal of seals and cameras "was completed today", a spokeswoman for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said. | |
"There are no more IAEA seals and surveillance equipment in place at the reprocessing facility," she added. | |
Symbolic gesture | Symbolic 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. |
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. |