DPRK ready to move on nuke deadline

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) says it will start moves to shut its nuclear reactor within a day of receiving millions of dollars blocked for 18 months in a Macao bank, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson told reporters yesterday.

But Richardson, speaking in Seoul after a trip to the North, said it would require an "extraordinary effort" to meet Saturday's deadline under a February deal with regional powers to actually start decommissioning the reactor.

"The North Korean (DPRK) government told us that with that (bank) issue resolved, ... (it) would move promptly, within a day, after receiving the funds," said Richardson, who during his visit had met Pyongyang's chief nuclear negotiator, Kim Kye-gwan.