Inspector Confirms North Korea To Shutdown Reactor

Olli Heinonen (file photo) (AFP) June 30, 2007 -- A top United Nations nuclear inspector says an understanding has been reached with North Korea on shutting down the North's Yongbyon nuclear reactor.

Olli Heinonen, head of the UN International Atomic Energy Agency team that visited North Korea this week, said, however, that it was not clear when North Korea will seal the reactor.

Heinonen said details of the shutdown must still be decided by North Korea and the five other countries that have been participating in talks on dismantling the North's nuclear weapons program.

(compiled from agency reports)

Battling Nuclear Proliferation

A nuclear-capable, short-range missile on display in Islamabad, Pakistan, in March (AFP)

IS PROLIFERATION INEVITABLE? On June 18, RFE/RL hosted a briefing featuring Henry Sokolski, executive director of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center. Sokolski discussed the challenges to the global nonproliferation regime and what Western countries can do to strengthen it.