The United States said on Monday that its experts have started
working to disable nuclear facilities in the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea (DPRK).
A team of US nuclear experts had arrived at Yongbyon, north of
Pyongyang, where DPRK's sole functioning nuclear reactor is
situated and begun the work of disabling the facilities, deputy
State Department spokesman Tom Casey told reporters.
"This is a positive first step in the process and we certainly
hope to see it continue," Casey said.
The spokesman provided no details about the process, but said
"This is going to be a process that is going to take some
time."
The DPRK shut down Yongbyon nuclear reactor in July. It agreed
to disable all existing nuclear facilities and to provide a
complete and correct declaration of all its nuclear programs by the
end of this year, according to a joint document released on Oct. 3
when the second phase of the sixth round of six-party talks ended
in Beijing.
The document said the disabling of the five megawatt
Experimental Reactor, the Reprocessing Plant (Radiochemical
Laboratory) and the Nuclear Fuel Rod Fabrication Facility in
Yongbyon would be completed by Dec. 31.
The six-party talks involve the DPRK, the United States, China,
South Korea, Japan and Russia.
(Xinhua News Agency November 6, 2007)
