‘N Korea shutting nuke plant’

North Korea also said it will submit a list of its nuclear programmes and will disable its nuclear facility “as soon as the right conditions are created,” Chun said, without explaining what the conditions were.

The remarks came hours after North Korea’s main negotiator said his country will not stop its nuclear activities unless all of the US$25 million of its money frozen in a Macau bank is released.

North Korea’s chief nuclear envoy said on Saturday his country would not stop its nuclear development programme until the United States first lifted financial curbs on North Korean accounts in a Macau bank.

Kim Kye-gwan, addressing reporters on arrival in Beijing for a new session of six-party talks aimed at ending North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme, apppeared in no mood to mince words.

“If the Banco Delta Asia financial sanctions are not completely lifted, we are not going to stop our nuclear development programme,” Kim said. “… What I mean is the initial steps. We are not going to stop the operation of the Yongbyon nuclear facility.”

Meanwhile, US Deputy Assistant Secretary Danny Glaser said on Saturday that Macau will have to decide whether to release North Korean funds frozen at a bank accused of helping the North launder money and handle counterfeit currency. He made the comments after meeting with officials in Macau.