The International Atomic Energy Agency's
(IAEA) inspection team members pose for group photo prior to their
departure to Yongbyon, at Pyongyang, capital of the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea (DPRK) on July 14, 2007. (Xinhua Photo/Xia
Yu)
PYONGYANG,
July 14 (Xinhua) -- A 10-member team of U.N. inspectors arrived in Pyongyang,
the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), on Saturday to
verify and monitor the shutdown and sealing of the nuclear facilities in
Yongbyon.
Upon his arrival in Pyongyang, Adel Tolba, head of
the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) inspection team, refused to
answer any questions from awaiting reporters.
"I have no comment, we have just come here to do our
work, then make a report to Vienna headquarters," said Tolba.
An official from DPRK's general atomic energy
administration told Xinhua at the airport that the inspection team would go
straight to Yongbyon as soon as they picked up their luggage.
On Tuesday, the Vienna-based U.N. nuclear watchdog
said in a statement that the IAEA had received an official invitation from the
DPRK.
The inspection team will monitor and verify the
shutdown of the Yongbyon nuclear facilities as agreed between the IAEA and the
DPRK and approved by the agency's board of governors, said the statement.
An IAEA delegation, headed by the agency's Deputy
Director General Olli Heinonen, visited Pyongyang in late June and reached a
consensus with the DPRK on the procedure for the shutdown of thefacilities.
At a special session on Monday, the IAEA's board of
governors approved a report submitted by IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei on the
mission in Yongbyon.
The ratification of the report provided the legal
basis for the IAEA's new mission.
At the same day, a South Korean ship carrying 6,200
tons of heavy fuel oil arrived in the morning at the northeastern port of
Songbong in the DPRK, according to the South Korean Unification Ministry.
The DPRK Foreign Ministry said last Friday that it
will start suspending the operation of its nuclear facilities from the moment
the first shipment of heavy oil arrives.
The DPRK expelled IAEA nuclear inspectors in December
2002, andin January 2003, the country publicly withdrew from the nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Under the February agreement this year, the DPRK
pledged to shut down the Yongbyon reactor within 60 days in exchange of 50,000
tons of heavy fuel oil or equivalent aid.
VIENNA, July 12 (Xinhua) -- UN inspectors left for the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Thursday to verify and monitor
the shutdown and sealing of nuclear facilities in Yongbyon, a diplomat in Vienna
said. Full story
SEOUL, July 12 (Xinhua)-- Mohamed ElBaradei, director
general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said here Thursday
that he is optimistic about the denuclearization in the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea (DPRK).Full story
UNITED NATIONS, July 11 (Xinhua) -- UN nuclear inspectors
will travel to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the next few days to
monitor the shutdown of the country's nuclear facilities, UN deputy spokesperson
Marie Okabe said Wednesday.
"Following receipt of an invitation (Tuesday from the
DPRK), a team from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will be
traveling to the DPRK within the next few days," Okabe told reporters. Full story
VIENNA, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's
Republic of Korea (DPRK) formally invited UN inspectors to the country to verify
the promised shutdown of its nuclear facilities, the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) said on Tuesday.
"Following receipt of an invitation today (Tuesday) from
the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, an IAEA team will travel to the DPRK
within the next few days," the Vienna-based UN nuclear watchdog said in a
statement. Full story
VIENNA, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The International Nuclear Energy
Agency (IAEA) Monday gave the go ahead for inspectors to go to the Democratic
People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to verify the promised shutdown of its nuclear
facilities.
The IAEA's board of governors Monday staged a special
session in which they approved a report submitted last Tuesday by IAEA chief
Mohamed ElBaradei on the verification and supervision of the shutdown of the
nuclear facilities in Yongbyon in DPRK. Full story
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