N. Korea seeks removal of nuke plant seals

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IAEA: N.Korea wants to carry out tests at the Yongbyon reprocessing plant

N.Koreans say this will "not involve nuclear material," agency said

N.Korea had agreed to abandon its atomic weapons program for energy aid

S.Korean news agency said N.Korea restoring reactor at Yongbyon

(CNN) -- North Korea has asked U.N. nuclear agency inspectors "to remove seals and surveillance equipment to enable them to carry out tests" at the Yongbyon reprocessing plant, the agency's director-general said.


A South Korean looks at the demolition of a cooling tower at the North's Yongbyon nuclear complex, June 27, 2008.

But Mohamed ElBaradei, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said Monday that the North Koreans said this will "not involve nuclear material." The news comes amid fears that North Korea may want to resume its nuclear program.

ElBaradei said the agency has "continued to verify the shutdown of the nuclear facilities at Yongbyon and to implement the ad hoc monitoring and verification arrangement, with the cooperation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea."

While not asked to take part in "disablement activities," the agency has observed and documented them.

He said agency inspectors have observed that "some equipment previously removed by the DPRK during the disablement process has been brought back. This has not changed the shutdown status of the nuclear facilities at Yongbyon.

"This morning, the DPRK authorities 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."

He said he is hopeful that conditions can be developed for North Korea "to return to the Non-Proliferation Treaty at the earliest possible date and for the resumption by the agency of comprehensive safeguards."

Last week, a South Korean news agency reported that North Korea is restoring a reactor at Yongbyon nuclear complex and no longer wants to be removed from a U.S. list of countries that sponsor terrorism.

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Hyun Hak-Bong, a chief North Korean negotiator at six-nation talks, told reporters his country is "thoroughly preparing to restart" the reactor and that reporters would "know soon" when his country would do that, the Yonhap news agency said.

But a senior U.S. diplomat said the announcement could simply be a bargaining ploy in the long-running negotiations aimed at halting North Korea's nuclear program.

The United States had seen no indications North Korea is actually rebuilding its reactor, the diplomat said.

Diplomats have said some of the disabled parts have been moved around from storage since the latest impasse in the negotiations began, but the American diplomat believes that is a negotiating tactic.