Tokyo
US satellites have spotted unusual activity near North Korea's
nuclear reactor which, Washington believes, may be evidence that
North Korea is closing down the reactor, South Korea's Dong-a Ilbo
said Tuesday citing diplomatic sources.
Satellite photos taken Monday by the US reflect "unusual activity",
with more transportation and people going to and from the reactor
than usual. After seeing the shots South Korea shared US conclusions
that this could be evidence of North Korea's intention to close down
the reactor.
The RENHAP agency reported that in a telephone conversation Tuesday
Song Min-soon, South Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister, and
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice agreed to give North Korea a
few days to stop the reactor.
Under an agreement reached at six-nation talks on denuclearizing
North Korea in February, Pyongyang was to stop and seal its nuclear
reactor, produce a list of other nuclear facilities and swap access
to IAEA inspectors for energy supplies and other assistance within
60 days, a deadline which expired Saturday.
However, North Korea refused to honour its commitments until its
accounts with Banco Delta Asia (BDA) in Macao were unfrozen.
Although information emerged last week that access to the accounts
was provided, Pyongyang said it would make sure before stopping the
reactor.
In September 2005 the US froze 52 North Korean accounts in the Macao
bank as part of unilateral sanctions against Pyongyang. Washington
has so far not produced evidence of North Korean violations and
agreed to unfreeze $25 million last week.
Latest reports said the bank has filed a petition with the US
Treasury Department to have the decision to "blacklist" BDA
overturned, the South China Morning Post newspaper in Hong Kong
quoted BDA's lawyer in the US Joseph McLaughlin Tuesday.
"We are confident that the US legal system, in the end, will not
sacrifice legal rights for political ends," he said.
BDA in an official statement said that the decision was politically
motivated since it was based on disputes between the US and North
Korea.
US Treasury officials have already expressed confidence that they
will win the case.
The decision to put BDA on a "black list" of banks barring it from
doing business with US banks was made in early March 2007 and will
come into effect Wednesday.
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