SKorea PM sees more progress after North offer

PARIS, June 18 (Reuters) More progress over North Korea's nuclear programme is possible after Pyongyang agreed to let in UN inspectors to monitor the shutdown of its nuclear reactor, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said today.

''We hope that from now on the speed will be more accelerated and we hope that the first phase of the measures that should be taken by North Korea should be done very quickly,'' Han told reporters in Paris, where he was visiting to support his country's Expo 2012 bid.

He said the recent unblocking of millions of dollars in North Korean funds frozen in Macau at the request of the United States appeared to have persuaded Pyongyang that it was in its interests to work with the international community.

''Once this ... issue ended, right away, North Korea actually invited the IAEA surveillance team. So let's see,'' he said.

''North Korea now knows that it can get real help from the six party talks. So I think the reaction will be promising.'' Closure of the North's Yongbyon reactor would be followed by a meeting of foreign ministers of the so-called ''six parties'' -- North and South Korea, China, Russia, the United States and Japan -- which would fuel further progress, he said.

''It's a very big step in a way and they can boost the confidence in countries among the six-party talks,'' he said, adding that mutual suspicions between the participants was one of the biggest problems dogging the issue.

''Now this kind of action taken by six party members and North Korea will enhance the credibility and standards of our six party talks,'' he said.

''Then I think the issues can go more smoothly. There will continue to be some snags, I think, hitches of course but the point is that they have a general vision and agenda and framework.'' REUTERS SG RAI2308