North Korea Agrees to Nuclear Disablement

North Korea has agreed to disable its main nuclear reactor and give up details of its nuclear programme by the end of the year, Chinese officials have announced.

In an agreement made in Beijing involving China, the US, Japan, Russia and South Korea, the country has agreed to end its nuclear programme in return for aid and benefits including one million tons of heavy fuel oil from South Korea.

North Korea will now disable its experimental nuclear reactor at the Yongbyon site as well as a reprocessing plant and equipment for the production of fuel rods, Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Wu Dawei announced.

The final phase of the agreement involves surrendering existing nuclear stockpiles next year – a step which many experts will prove the biggest challenge, says the BBC.

By staff writer