북한은 15일 자국의 원자로 폐쇄를 지연시켜온 방코델타아시아은행 송금문제가 해결되고 있다고 밝혔습니다.
조선중앙통신은 이날 방코델타아시아은행에 있는 2,500만달러의 자금을 제 3국에 있는 북한 은행에 송금하기 위한 작업이 현재 진행중에 있다고 밝히고, 자금 송금이 실현되면 곧바로 2,13 합의에 따른 핵시설 가동중지를 취할 용의가 있다고 한 북한 외무성 대변인의 말을 인용, 보도했습니다.
워싱턴에서 톰 케이시 국무부 대변인은 이 자금 문제가 해결됐는지에 대해서는 알지 못한다고 말했습니다.
북한은 지난 2월 6자회담에서 영변 원자로를 폐쇄하기로 합의했지만, 자금 동결이 해제될 때까지 핵시설 폐쇄를 시작하지 않을 것이라고 주장했습니다.
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North Korea says steps are being taken to clear up a financial dispute that has held up the shutdown of the communist state's nuclear reactor.
The Korean Central News Agency quotes the Foreign Ministry as saying a process is under way to transfer 25 million dollars from a Macau bank to North Korean bank accounts in a third country.
In Washington, a U.S. State Department spokesman (Tom Casey) said he did not know if the issue with the funds had been sorted out.
North Korea had agreed to shut down the Yongbyon reactor during six-way talks in February, but it insisted the process would not begin until its assets were released.
The funds were frozen in 2005, after Washington said the money was tied to alleged money laundering by North Korea. Washington announced the funds had been unfrozen in March.
North Korea's Foreign Ministry says once the transfer is complete it will immediately take steps to close its nuclear facility.