N. Korea nuke lists disputed

SEOUL, Dec. 27 (UPI) -- North Korean officials' persistent denial of a uranium enrichment program is blocking its denuclearization, the South Korean foreign minister said Thursday.

North Korea is expected to list all its nuclear programs by the end of the year, Yonhap News Agency reported. In return for abandoning its nuclear programs, the country is to receive fuel and technical assistance from the other countries involved in the six-party talks.

The draft list does not include uranium enrichment. The country also said it has produced only 30 kilograms of plutonium, while the United States and South Korea say the real amount is 50 kilograms.

"We believe the North's uranium enrichment program is an issue that needs to be discussed further among related countries," South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-soon said.

Song said the other countries should attempt to verify North Korean claims instead of assuming it is lying. He also said the facilities at Yongbyon are being dismantled on schedule.