North Korea miss deadline in nuclear deal: NBC

Seoul, Apr 11: North Korea, told it will soon receive its assets frozen at a Macau bank, said it could start shutting down its main nuclear reactor within 30 days but likely miss a Saturday deadline to do so, NBC news reported today.

North Korea's chief nuclear negotiator Kim Kye-gwan made the pledge during a dinner meeting with a US delegation visiting Pyongyang led by New Mexico Gov Bill Richardson, NBC reported members of his team as saying.

Kim also said the reclusive state would also allow nuclear inspectors back into the country within a month, US team members said.

The reclusive state has said it will only close the reactor and source of its weapons-grade plutonium once the funds linked to North Korean interests and frozen since 2005 in Macau's Banco Delta Asia were freed.

The United States said yesterday Macau had unblocked about 25 million dollar in frozen North Korean funds and urged Pyongyang to take steps to shut down its Yongbyon nuclear plant by a weekend deadline.

Reuters