Seoul to send energy aid to Pyongyang under six-party accord By Shim Sun-ah

SEOUL, Sept. 16 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will deliver a portion of the energy assistance promised to North Korea under a six-nation nuclear disarmament deal by next month, despite the communist country's recent move backtracking on a pledge to abandon its nuclear ambitions, a government source said Tuesday.

The government plans to ship 1,500 tons of round steel bars by Thursday next
week, with an additional 1,500 tons next month, the source said.

The shipment is part of the 1 million tons of heavy fuel oil or equivalent energy
assistance that North Korea's five negotiating partners -- South Korea, the
United States, Japan, China and Russia -- promised to provide under the six-party
deal signed in February last year.

In return, Pyongyang shut down its key nuclear facilities at Yongbyon, promising
to disable them completely.

North Korea, however, has recently taken steps in an apparent move to reverse the
disabling process, in protest against what it says is a failure by the U.S. to
fulfill a pledge to remove the North from its list of state sponsors of
terrorism.

The South Korean government has decided to send the promised energy shipment as
planned in order not to aggravate existing tensions, the source said, adding the
decision was made after consultations with other parties to the six-party talks.

"It is the government's current position that it will send promised
materials as scheduled," the source said. The official did not rule out the
possibility, however, that Seoul's position could change depending on any further
steps by Pyongyang to further renege on its nuclear disarmament.

Seoul has so far provided energy aid worth 116,000 tons of heavy oil, according
to officials at the Unification Ministry, the top office on North Korea.