(RFE/RL)
March 17, 2007 -- North Korea says it is preparing to shut down its main nuclear facility, Yongbyon.
According to South Korea's chief nuclear envoy, North Korea's delegation told a working group meeting in Beijing today that it has "begun preparations to shut down its Yongbyon nuclear facility" -- a key step that it promised in a landmark nuclear agreement last month.
North Korea also said it will submit a list of its nuclear programs, but first wants the right conditions created.
These include the unfreezing of some $25 million in North Korean funds in a bank in Macau.
A senior U.S. Treasury official, Danny Glaser, held talks today in Macau where he said a decision on the funds is up to local officials.
The funds were originally frozen after Washington accused the Macanese bank of involvement in illegal North Korean dealings.
(AP, AFP)