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N Korea reactor 'shut in weeks' N Korea reactor 'shut in weeks'
(about 7 hours later)
North Korea has agreed to shut down its Yongbyon nuclear reactor within three weeks, US nuclear envoy Christopher Hill has said. North Korea has agreed to shut down its Yongbyon nuclear reactor within three weeks, US nuclear envoy Christopher Hill said after talks in Pyongyang.
Speaking on arrival at Tokyo airport, Mr Hill told reporters the timeframe began as of Friday. Mr Hill said a fresh round of six-party disarmament talks will be held in July.
The envoy made a surprise two-day trip to North Korea earlier this week for talks on its nuclear programme. In its first public response to talks earlier this week, North Korea said it would act as soon as it received funds frozen in a row over money laundering.
Pyongyang agreed in February to shut its reactor, but progress had been held up in a dispute over frozen funds. Russia, involved in the complex bank transfer, said on Saturday it had taken delivery of the $24m (£12.1m) funds.
The money is now expected to be claimed by North Korea, removing a key obstacle to the stalled deal agreed in February in Beijing.
The money was frozen for nearly two years in a Macau bank after the US said it was gained through drug smuggling and counterfeiting, making other banks unwilling to touch it.
Freed funds
North Korea said the talks with Mr Hill had been "comprehensive and productive", the official Korean Central News Agency reported.North Korea said the talks with Mr Hill had been "comprehensive and productive", the official Korean Central News Agency reported.
N KOREA NUCLEAR DEAL N Korea to 'shut down and seal' Yongbyon reactor, then disable all nuclear facilitiesIn return, will be given 1m tonnes of heavy fuel oilN Korea to invite IAEA back to monitor dealUnder earlier 2005 deal, N Korea agreed to end nuclear programme and return to non-proliferation treatyN Korea's demand for light water reactor to be discussed at "appropriate time" Q&A: The bank rowN KOREA NUCLEAR DEAL N Korea to 'shut down and seal' Yongbyon reactor, then disable all nuclear facilitiesIn return, will be given 1m tonnes of heavy fuel oilN Korea to invite IAEA back to monitor dealUnder earlier 2005 deal, N Korea agreed to end nuclear programme and return to non-proliferation treatyN Korea's demand for light water reactor to be discussed at "appropriate time" Q&A: The bank row
The agency said the two sides agreed to resume six-party talks involving North Korea, South Korea, the US, Russia, Japan and China, in July.The agency said the two sides agreed to resume six-party talks involving North Korea, South Korea, the US, Russia, Japan and China, in July.
Freed funds
Mr Hill said the shutdown would take place after North Korea reached an agreement with the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), on monitoring the operation.Mr Hill said the shutdown would take place after North Korea reached an agreement with the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), on monitoring the operation.
Inspectors from the IAEA plan to visit North Korea next week for the first time since they were forced out of the country in 2002. Inspectors from the IAEA plan to visit North Korea on Tuesday for the first time since they were forced out of the country in 2002.
But Mr Hill added that closing the nuclear reactor was just the beginning of the process.But Mr Hill added that closing the nuclear reactor was just the beginning of the process.
"Shutting down the reactor does not solve all our problems," he said."Shutting down the reactor does not solve all our problems," he said.
Under the February deal, Pyongyang agreed to shut the reactor in return for $25m, frozen for nearly two years, to be sent from a bank in Macau to a North Korean account in Beijing. Under the February deal, Pyongyang agreed to shut the reactor in return for the release of its frozen funds and additional aid and diplomatic benefits.
After a long delay, Russia agreed to help facilitate the transfer of the funds, which were freed earlier this month. North Korea was promised one million metric tons of heavy fuel oil, to be supplied by the five other countries involved in the nuclear disarmament negotiations.
North Korea was also promised one million tonnes of heavy fuel oil, to be supplied by the five other countries involved in the nuclear negotiations.