By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter
Cheong Wa Dae praised North Korea in following international agreements to dismantle its nuclear programs, calling the demolition of the cooling tower of its Yongbyon reactor a ``first step'' toward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
``There is still a long way to go, but the demolition is a crucial first step toward achieving goals of denuclearization,'' Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Lee Dong-kwan said.
``We hope the remaining steps to disable North Korean nuclear facilities will be complete as soon as possible. For this, we will closely cooperate with the international community,'' he said.