N. Korea monitoring trip planned

PYONGYANG, North Korea, Nov. 27 (UPI) -- North Korea's nuclear disablement, now underway, will be monitored by representatives from the other five countries involved in the effort.

Making the trip this week to Pyongyang will be diplomats and nuclear experts from the United States, Russia, China, South Korea and Japan, Kyodo news service reported Tuesday.

North Korea began disabling its three nuclear facilities early this month under the second phase of its denuclearization deal made with the other five countries in return for substantial economic aid. The process must be completed by year-end.

The work is being done by a U.S. team of nuclear experts on a 5-megawatt nuclear reactor, a spent-fuel reprocessing facility and a nuclear fuel fabrication plant. North Korea also must submit a list of all its nuclear programs, which is yet to be completed, Kyodo reported.

Yonhap news agency reported officials as saying the focus will be to get extensive information on how much nuclear material North Korea produced and if any of it was transferred to another country.

The Yonhap report said a retired U.S. State Department official is staying in Pyongyang for administrative support and denied his presence is meant to become permanent as some reports have suggested.