Scammer
Banned
[video]http://cnn.com/video/?/video/world/2010/12/20/nr.wolf.blitzer.korea.bpr.cnn[/video]
Pyongyang, North Korea -- North Korea has agreed to a series of actions, including the return of U.N. inspectors, following discussions with Bill Richardson, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, CNN's Wolf Blitzer said Monday.
The North agreed to allow International Atomic Energy Agency personnel to return to a nuclear facility in the country and agreed to negotiate the sale of 12,000 fresh fuel rods and ship them to an outside country, presumably to South Korea, said Blitzer, who is traveling with Richardson.
The fuel rods would be enough to make about six to eight nuclear weapons.
In response, South Korea said it was too early to make a general assessment of the North's decision without additional information.
"We need to assess overall the scope of inspection and the motivation behind North Korea agreeing to let IAEA inspectors back in," South Korean foreign ministry spokesman Kim Young-sun told reporters Monday.
The IAEA refers to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Washington accuses Pyongyang of running a secret uranium-based nuclear program. The United States, along with North Korea, South Korea, Russia, Japan and China, have been involved in what is called the six-party talks.
But those talks have been slow, arduous and in limbo since 2008. And after the recent revelation of the North Korean uranium enrichment facility, the resumption of talks seemed in jeopardy.
During his five-day unofficial trip to North Korea, Richardson has been meeting with high-level officials. The trip ends Monday.
In the meetings, Richardson said he urged North Korea to not take aggressive steps in response to South Korea's live-artillery military drill Monday.
The North also agreed to consider Richardson's proposal for a military commission between the United States, North Korea and South Korea as well as a separate hotline for the Koreas' militaries, Blitzer reported.
