By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
The United States announced Thursday the expectation that North Korea will shut down its main nuclear reactor in Yongbyon within the ``next couple of weeks.''
U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said there were no specific dates set for the next six-party talks, but that they would likely occur within the coming weeks.
``We would obviously like to have that as soon as possible,'' he told reporters.
South Korea plans to ship 50,000 tons of heavy fuel oil to North Korea in stages, beginning next week, as part of incentives for the Communist regime to implement a Feb. 13 denuclearization agreement.
According to the agreement established at six-party talks in Beijing, the North will receive 50,000 tons of fuel oil after disabling and sealing its plutonium-producing reactor. Through increased cooperation, including declaring all nuclear programs, the North can eventually receive further energy assistance equivalent to 950,000 tons of heavy oil.
According to inside sources, Pyongyang said it will suspend operations of the nuclear facilities when it receives the heavy fuel oil.
``We think that as the first order of business, everybody should, in particular North Korea, focus on shutting down Yongbyon,'' McCormack said. ``We certainly would like to see Yongbyon shut down and sealed in the next couple of weeks.''
Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency, a U.N. watchdog, are expected to go into North Korea to monitor the shutdown.
The chief nuclear negotiator from South Korea and China met in Beijing Friday to discuss the proposed shutdown of the Yongbyon and resumption of a fresh round of the six-party disarmament talks involving the two Koreas, the United States, Japan, China and Russia.
No date has been set for the next six-way talks, while officials from South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the talks will not likely reopen until the North takes a step to close the reactor as agreed under the February pact.
``There is a large difference between resuming the negotiations before North Korea shuts down its nuclear facilities at Yongbyon and after it does so,'' a ministry official was quoted as saying by the Yonhap News Agency.