N.Korean reactor expected to be shut down within weeks

There are strong indications that North Korea will move soon to start the process of dismantling its nuclear programme. Washington says it expects Pyongyang to shut down its main reactor within about three weeks. US envoy Christopher Hill visited North Korea this week. He says the next round of six party talks on scrapping the country’s atomic programme could take place early next month.

“We expect Yongbyon to be shut down after there is an agreement between the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) and the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) on how to monitor this shutdown,” he said. “We do expect this to take place soon and within probably three weeks”.

Progress on plans to shut down the reactor came after North Korean money that had been frozen in a Macau bank account was finally transferred to the government in Pyongyang.

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