IAEA inspectors leave North Korea
April 16th, 2009 - 6:40 pm ICT by IANSVienna, April 16 (DPA) The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced its inspectors left North Korea Thursday, after Pyongyang reacted to a UN Security Council condemnation by telling them to return to Vienna.
The arrival of the four nuclear experts in Beijing marked the end of a 19-month period in which the IAEA observed that North Korea’s nuclear facilities remain turned off, as agreed in a six-party deal that includes the US.
Before leaving, the inspectors were forced to remove all seals and to switch off cameras installed by the nuclear agency in North Korea’s nuclear centre in Yongbyon.
Following the UN Security Council’s condemnation of North Korea’s recent rocket launch, Pyongyang said it would no longer participate in the six-party talks that also involve the US, Russia, China, South Korea and Japan.
On Tuesday, Pyongyang told the IAEA that it would restart all facilities in Yongbyon, including a reactor, and that it wanted the inspectors to leave.
The reclusive communist state agreed in 2005 with the other five governments to abandon its nuclear weapons programme in return for humanitarian aid.
North Korea has taken a step toward further isolation and would have to face consequences, US State Department spokesman Robert Wood said Wednesday.
An additional team of US experts who are in Yongbyon to verify the disablement of the country’s nuclear programme was making plans to leave at Pyongyang’s request, Wood said.
- North Korea prepares for underground nuclear test - Apr 08, 2012
- North Korea kicks out IAEA nuclear inspectors - Apr 15, 2009
- US welcomes North Korean invitation to n-experts - Mar 20, 2012
- IAEA has stopped monitoring North Korean nuclear site: Diplomat - Apr 15, 2009
- IAEA's top nuclear inspector resigns - Jul 01, 2010
- North Korea bans IAEA monitors from all nuclear facilities - Oct 09, 2008
- US concludes 'constructive' talks with North Korea - Jul 30, 2011
- North Korea almost finished rebuilding nuclear facility: Report - Oct 06, 2009
- China wants early resumption of Six-Party Talks to tackle N Korea's nuke enrichment - Nov 24, 2010
- IAEA to refer Syrian nuclear issue to UNSC - Jun 10, 2011
- North Korea shows readiness to resume nuclear talks - Jul 10, 2010
- North Korea expels IAEA inspectors, withdraws from six-nation talks - Apr 15, 2009
- China urges dialogue after North Korean satellite launch - Apr 17, 2012
- North Korea's plutonium plans violate UN resolution, says US - Jun 17, 2009
- North Korea began uranium n-weapons programme in '90s: South Korea - Jan 06, 2010
Tags: atomic energy agency, communist state, condemnation, humanitarian aid, international atomic energy, international atomic energy agency, international atomic energy agency iaea, north korea, nuclear agency, nuclear centre, nuclear experts, nuclear facilities, nuclear weapons, pyongyang, rocket launch, six party talks, south korea, state department spokesman, un security council, yongbyon