North Korea preparing to restart nuclear reactor

Panmunjom: North Korea said on Friday it would restart its atomic reactor.

"We are making thorough preparations to restore [nuclear facilities]," said foreign ministry official Hyon Hak-Bong.

"You may say we have already started work to restore them to their original status," he told reporters.

Hyon said that the United States has broken a nuclear disarmament deal by failing to drop the terrorism designation for North Korea.

Washington said the North must first accept strict outside verification of a nuclear inventory which Pyongyang handed over in June.

Hyon said such demands for what he called "forceful inspections" are not part of the six-party deal.