BEIJING, April 19 -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea says it's suspended operations at its nuclear reactor in Yongbyon. The country's foreign ministry made the announcement on Monday.

    Selih Harrison of the Washington-based Center of International Policy said the DPRK Foreign Ministry had told him the plant would be shut down in order to remove spent fuel rods as part of routine maintenance.

    The DPRK said explicitly for the first time in February that it had reprocessed nuclear fuel.

    (Source: CCTV.com)