U.S. Says DPRK Keeps Nuclear Disablement Promise

The United States says North Korea has stuck to its promise of disabling its nuclear reactor at Yongbyon.

US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack gave details about the disabling process.

"The North Koreans have in their efforts reversed all their reversals in their reactor, all the seals are back on, the surveillance equipment is back reinstalled and the equipment that had been removed is back where it had been. In addition to that, they have removed more rods from the reactor. So, on the reactor, they have actually gone beyond where they were prior to their reversing the disablement steps."

McCormack said North Korean specialists have removed 60 percent of the fuel rods from the reactor. Fuel rods can be processed to obtain plutonium for nuclear bombs.

McCormack added there was still "work to be done" at the North's reprocessing and fuel fabrication factories.

He expected nuclear talks among China, Japan, the two Koreas, Russia and the United States would resume "in the coming period of time."

Washington removed Pyongyang from its list of state sponsors of terrorism last week after the two sides reached an agreement on verification measures over North Korea's nuclear program.

The removal followed a two-day trip to Pyongyang by U.S. chief negotiator to the six-party nuclear talks, Christopher Hill, earlier this month.