A North Korean official said Wednesday his country will sign a nuclear safeguard agreement allowing inspections of its nuclear facilities when the United States begins withdrawing atomic weapons from South Korea.
But Chu Chang Jun, North Korea's ambassador to China, did not make clear during a news conference what the Pyongyang government would demand as an assurance that such a pullout had begun."Let's see the action of the United States," Chu said. When pressed for specifics, Chu said only that a U.S. announcement saying the withdrawal had started would not be enough.
The United States previously announced plans to withdraw its nuclear arms from South Korea.
In Seoul, the South Korean Foreign Ministry issued a brief statement saying North Korea's latest comment "shows the possibility of a change" in its stand on inspections. In the past, the North said it would allow inspections only after all U.S. weapons were withdrawn from South Korea.
The statement said South Korea would issue a formal response soon. Three South Korean newspapers reported today that Seoul would agree to simultaneous inspections of nuclear facilities if North Korea signed a nuclear safeguard agreement permitting international inspections.
Communist North Korea's nuclear program has drawn attention in the past few weeks as the United States has sought to pressure Pyongyang to allow inspections of its facilities and to prevent it from becoming able to produce atomic weapons.
Defense Secretary Dick Cheney said last week that Washington had canceled plans to withdraw thousands of U.S. troops from South Korea because of concern over North Korea's nuclear program.
Chu called the news conference to read a North Korean Foreign Ministry statement issued Monday outlining conditions it says must be met before Pyongyang will agree to international inspections of its nuclear facilities.