N. Korea restoring nuclear reactor

PYONGYANG, North Korea, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- North Korea's Foreign Ministry said the country is restoring its nuclear reactor and isn't concerned about being listed as a terrorism-supporting country.

North Korea "suspended the disablement of its nuclear facilities and work has been under way to restore its nuclear facilities in Yongbyon to their original state since some time ago," a ministry spokesman said in an interview with the North's official news agency, Yonhap reported.

The steps in restarting the main plutonium-producing reactor was a "countermeasure against the action taken by the (United States) to indefinitely put on hold the effectuation of the measure for delisting (North Korea) as a state sponsor of terrorism," the spokesman was reported as saying.

"Now that the U.S.'s true colors are brought to light," the spokesman said, "the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) neither wishes to be delisted as a 'state sponsor of terrorism' nor expects such a thing to happen."

North Korea began disabling its nuclear facilities in November and provided a list of nuclear programs in June as part of a nuclear disarmament agreement. U.S. President George Bush promised to remove the country from the terrorism list as part of a package of political and economic incentives, but the Bush administration said it would do so after North Korea agrees to verification protocols.