N.K. threatens to slow nuclear disablement work if energy aid suspended: report

SEOUL, Dec. 13 (Yonhap) -- North Korea threatened Saturday to slow down the
ongoing process of disabling its main nuclear facility if promised energy aid is
halted, Japan's Kyodo News quoted the communist country's nuclear envoy as
saying.
After the latest round of six-party nuclear disarmament talks collapsed in
Beijing Thursday, the United States said it will halt fuel oil shipments to North
Korea promised under a 2007 aid-for-denuclearization deal.
The North's chief nuclear envoy, Kim Kye-gwan, said his country will be forced to
respond by slowing down disablement of its Yongbyon nuclear complex.
"For us, it is all right whether they are stopped or given," Kyodo quoted Kim as
telling reporters before leaving Beijing's international airport for home. "If
they are not provided, we will adjust the speed of disablement."
On Friday, U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said energy aid will
not go forward until ways to verify Pyongyang's nuclear programs are put in
place.
This week's round of six-party talks, the first since July, ended Thursday
without setting a date for the next meeting after North Korea refused to put into
writing its commitment to allow outside inspectors to take samples from the
Yongbyon facility for testing for its past nuclear activities.
North Korea has so far received about half of 1 million tons of fuel oil promised
under the 2007 deal. The other parties involved in the talks are South Korea,
China, Japan and Russia.
sshim@yna.co.kr
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