Pyongyang halts nuke reactor disablement

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said yesterday it has stopped disabling its nuclear reactor and will consider restoring the plutonium-producing facility in anger over Washington's failure to remove it from the US list of terror sponsors.

The DPRK's announcement marks the emergence of the biggest hurdle yet to the country's denuclearization process under a landmark deal last year and is expected to escalate tension in the Six-Party Talks involving the DPRK, the United States, China, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Japan and Russia.

Pyongyang's Foreign Ministry said it suspended the disablement work at the reactor and other facilities at its Yongbyon nuclear complex as of Aug 14 because the US did not keep its promise to delist Pyongyang as a terror sponsor under last year's deal.