The US has demanded that North Korea dismantle its nuclear plant in Yongbyon as a condition for resuming dialogue when the two sides held unofficial talks in February, a Japanese newspaper reported on Sunday. The Asahi Shimbun said the latest condition raised the hurdles Pyongyang must clear for talks with Washington as it adds to earlier demands by the United States for North Korea to abandon its uranium enrichment programme and to put a freeze on nuclear facilities. Quoting a source familiar with the February meeting held in Berlin, the paper said the US would only agree to hold talks between senior officials if North Korea decided to dismantle the plant. The North Korean side rejected the US demand, the source said. Asahi said Washington made the latest demand in response to repeated North Korean threats to reactivate the facilities in Yongbyon, which were put under international monitoring since 1994. The Asahi first reported the Berlin meeting on Thursday, but the US has said the exchange did not involve US officials.
