North Korea to Disable Nuclear Facilities

North Korea has agreed to disable its nuclear programs in an effort to obtain oil and other relief assistance as well as have its name removed from a U.S. list that specifies countries supporting terrorism.

The disablement of North Korea’s main nuclear program at Yongbyon is scheduled to be completed by Dec. 31 and will be overseen by a U.S.-led team that will also fund the initial process set to begin within the next two weeks.

In a statement read to reporters Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei declared, “The disablement of the five megawatt experimental reactor at Yongbyon, the reprocessing plant at Yongbyon and the nuclear fuel rod fabrication facility at Yongbyon will be completed by 31 December 2007.”

North Korea’s nuclear program had been a major hurdle for securing assistance and political ties with other countries. The country had been part of the six-nation disarmament negotiations with the United States, China, South Korea, Russia and Japan but the detonation of a nuclear device last year fractured those negotiations and led to further sanctions against North Korea.

In February North Korea agreed to disable its nuclear programs in part to secure aid and gain political ties with member nations involved in the negotiations.

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