North Korea has asked for the removal of International Atomic Energy Agency seals and cameras from its main atomic complex, the agency's chief said today.
North Korea said on Friday it was working on restarting the plutonium-producing Yongbyon complex, the basis of its atomic bomb programme, which it previously had been dismantling under a much delayed disarmament-for-aid deal with five countries.
"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," IAEA Director Mohamed ElBaradei told a meeting of the UN watchdog's Board of Governors.
A senior diplomat close to the IAEA said: "Seals have been taken off."
Last month, North Korea said it planned to restart Yongbyon because it was angry at Washington for not taking it off its terrorism blacklist. In early September, it made minor but initial moves to restart the plant, US officials said.
"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," Mr ElBaradei said.
Diplomats have said such a restoration would take at least several months.
"I still hope that conditions can be created for North Korea to return to the Non-Proliferation Treaty at the earliest possible date and for the resumption of comprehensive (IAEA) safeguards," Mr ElBaradei told the closed gathering in Vienna.
North Korea's Foreign Ministry had said work was under way to restore Yongbyon's facilities "to their original state".
Washington has said it will remove Pyongyang from the list once it allows inspectors to verify claims it made about its nuclear arms production. Once removed, the North can better tap into international finance and expand its meagre trade.
Reuters