TOKYO, July 15 (RIA Novosti) - Inspectors from the UN nuclear watchdog who arrived in Pyongyang Saturday will verify the shutdown by North Korea of its nuclear reactor, the top U.S. nuclear envoy said Sunday.
Christopher Hill, who is visting Japan, made this statement a day after North Korea told the United States that it had shut down its nuclear reactor at Yongbyon as part of a disarmament deal.
"This is just a first step and it will be followed by other steps," Hill said.
At the six-nation talks held in February between North and South Korea, China, Russia, Japan and the United States, Pyongyang agreed to close its reactor in return for international aid. Under the deal, the reclusive regime received Saturday the first shipment of fuel oil from South Korea.
North Korea conducted its first nuclear bomb test last October.
