Backgrounder: IAEA, DPRK relations

Source: CCTV.com | 03-13-2007 15:27

Some see Mohamed ElBaradei's visit as the first sign of Pyongyang's willingness to allow foreign scrutiny, since withdrawing from the Non-proliferation Treaty four years ago.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea has been an IAEA Member State since 1974.

And in 1985, the country signed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

IAEA inspections began shortly after the DPRK submitted its initial report to the agency in 1992.

But there were clear inconsistencies between the IAEA´s findings and the DPRK´s initial declaration.

Two years later, the country withdrew as a member of the UN's nuclear watchdog.

The crisis in 1994 was subsequently defused by US negotiations.

Both countries signed an Agreed Framework in October the same year.

But eight years later, the US accused the DPRK of developing a programme to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons.

Pyongyang counter-accused the US of failing to implement the Framework and in December of 2002, resumed work at several sites and disabled security cameras. Five days later, it ordered IAEA inspectors to leave the country.

Pyongyang announced its formal withdrawal from the Non-Proliferation Treaty in January 2003.

But the IAEA remains committed to securing full compliance from the DPRK through peaceful means.

It also attaches great importance to the role of the Six-party talks.

The inspectors are scheduled to return to the DPRK within 60 days of the joint statement reached at last month's Six-Party Talks.

Editor:Du Xiaodan