E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSUpdated at 11:44 a.m. ET: WASHINGTON -- North Korea agreed on Wednesday to stop nuclear tests, uranium enrichment and long-range missile launches and to allow nuclear inspectors to visit its Yongbyon nuclear complex to verify the moratorium has been enforced.
The announcement, made simultaneously by the U.S. State Department and North Korea's official news agency, paves the way for the possible resumption of six-party disarmament negotiations with Pyongyang and follows talks between U.S. and North Korean diplomats in Beijing last week.
It also marks a significant policy shift by North Korea's reclusive leadership following the death in December of veteran leader Kim Jong-il.
Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton told a Senate hearing that North Korea's suspension of nuclear activities a "modest first step" but also "a reminder that the world is transforming around us."
N. Korea envoy: 'Positive' signs from talks with US
The U.S. still had reservations about North Korea, the State Department said in a statement.
"The United States still has profound concerns regarding North Korean behavior across a wide range of areas, but today’s announcement reflects important, if limited, progress in addressing some of these," it read.
It said Washington reaffirmed that it did not have hostile intentions toward North Korea and was prepared to take steps to improve bilateral ties and increase people-to-people exchanges.
An unidentified spokesman from North Korea's Foreign Ministry said in its statement carried by the state-run news agency that the North agreed to the nuclear moratoriums and the allowance of U.N. inspectors "with a view to maintaining positive atmosphere" for the U.S.-North Korea talks.
'Nutritional assistance'
Clinton also said the U.S. will meet with North Korea to finalize details for a proposed package of 240,000 metric tons of food aid, referring to it as "nutritional assistance." She said intensive monitoring of the aid would be required.
North Korea appealed for food aid a year ago to alleviate chronic shortages.
PhotoBlog: Kim Jong Un: A dictator in the grip of his people?
The surprise announcement was a step forward for Washington's campaign to rein in renegade nuclear programs around the world and comes as the Obama administration steps up pressure on Iran over its atomic ambitions, which western governments fear are aimed at producing nuclear weapons.
Since 2006 North Korea has tested missiles, staged two nuclear tests and unveiled a uranium enrichment program that could give it a second route to manufacture nuclear weapons, in addition to its existing plutonium-based program. At low levels, uranium can be used in power reactors, but at higher levels it can be used in nuclear bombs.
The U.S. still has nearly 30,000 troops based in South Korea, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War, that ended in a armistice rather than a peace treaty.
More from msnbc.com and NBC News:
- Report: UK suicide bomber widow sought in Kenya
- Fears grow of Israel-Iran missile shootout
- Study: Japan feared 'devil's chain reaction' at nuke plant
- 400-year-old royal diamond goes up for auction
- Stricken liner being towed to safety through pirate zone
Follow us on Twitter: @msnbc_world
Msnbc.com stadd, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Leave a Comment:
Ain't buyin' it.
...how many times have we chased THIS bunny down the trail? they'll desist long enough to get whatever aid they need, then they'll rattle the sabre again.
The old bunny is dead, lets see how the new bunny talks and thinks.
The 2012 GOP / Tea Bag Prez hopefuls and neocon / teabag congressional nutcase psychos will be along shortly to blame Obama for not waging war on North Korea.
N Korea has played this game with all the recent presidents. What will you give us NOT to develop nukes. From food to heating fuel to money. The long and short of it is N Korea can't feed their own people. Just look how vastly different N and S Korea are in terms of their economy and even something as simple as electricity.
Talk is cheap.
Thank you President Obama!
This predates President Obama. Hell, this was going on before President Clinton. Lets be real, their last attempt at an underground nuke test was a failure. They are years away from a viable nuke (or so we are told). I would be more worried about N Korea buying a nuke on the blackmarket. But we continue to play this game and give them aid at our expense. Sad, isn't it?
So , It looks like we're giving them food so that they can afford to buy a nuke from somebody else. We wouldn't want them to have to divert money from their military budget to feed their people. That communism thing is really working out well for NK. Abject poverty for the masses and begging for food to feed their bloated military and all the dependent peasents. Take a look at Obamas dream for america.
A moratorium That will last a very brief time to appease the current pressure. N. Korea is just buying time for who knows what diabolical scheme they have in mind. Just like Iran who is much better at yesing you to death.
Dont think for one minute that this is the end of N. Korea's bull@!$%#! It is just the game they have been playing with the U.S. for many, many years. This will continue into the indefinate future. This is just what everyone wants, STATUS QUO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Isn't the president magical ??
Jimmy Carter could not have done it better.
Well folks they aren't going to get anything in the deal but food--yeah if they get american dollars theink will still be wet. You would think that the people of the USA would get the food first then we may have some left. The muslums have proved we don't think very good.
Cynic??? What ever happened in telling the truth and being direct to the point?
Certain the GOP will spin this to we need "Boots on the Ground Now"........
Yep, i'm sure.
Once again the American taxpayers are footing thr bill to insure their compliance. That is until their leaders have their next temper tantrum. North Korea needs to be a little more focused on taking care of their citizens and less concerned with black mailing the rest of the world! Our government needs to be a little more concerned with who is hungry right here at home and a littel less concerned with who is hungry overseas! When all US citizens are taken care of then maybe will be the time to worry about somewhere else.
Been saying that for years. Not one dollar should go overseas to help another until we take care of whats inside our borders first. We love going to other countries to build hospitals schools, bridges, and roads. Truth be told, there isn't one state that isn't in need of those very same things right now. Sounds cold, but take care of our house first before we go and start building someone elses.
Again we allow NK to call the shots in the extortion of the United States for foreign aid. This is a great example to set for all the other rogue countries that aim for nuclear weaponry. Our submission is a total embarrassment that will only be viewed as a weakness to be leveraged upon.
Good job Mr. president! Pakistan is mad at us too. Could we send them more money to appease them for a couple months. Hell, we've got money to blow. Funny how the left complains about the 1% while they worship a leader who blows what little we have left on communist regimes and muslims. I'm guessing the left are the ones who gave up their lunch money in the 3rd grade to avoid the a*s kicking on the way home.
Hillary with knee pads is next.
Crazon
Maybe if the last administratioin would have dealt with North Korea, Iran, Pakistan....we wouldn't need this conversation now!
btw - maybe we don't have much left as the last group dumped a trillion into Iraq....
b dune,
If the last administration was in place, we wouldn't be pandering and bowing down now but then the left would say we're thumping our bibles and warmongering. btw, the current administration has had 3 years to get ANYTHING in order. All they have done was sent a ton of money to the automakers and big banks while giving everyone foodstamps. (entitlements). When will the current administration quit blaming things on the past. I have been hired to take over almost $1 billion projects because the current Superintendent was going about it wrong. I never even had over a couple months to get back in the black. I never blamed the last guy when I took the wheel. I AM accountable. How about Obama?
Call obama what you will. I will call him the man trying his hardest to keep us out of a global war. The GOP thrives on war and hate. I support the democrats but am not blinded by party. I bet all you GOP supporters who are ready to send us back into war will be the first to put your tails between your legs and run like cowards when things get bad. i have no problem fighting or dieing for my childrens future if that is what it takes. But mabey we should let Obama do the right thing and try diplomacy first.
A more appropriate name would be Barack Chamberlain.
Diplomacy is what we've been trying for years.This is extortion backed by a threat and our Gov. has no right to cave in to these threats. It's sets a bad precedent for other rogue nations to follow and make the U.S. look weak and scared. I don't ever want to fight but will never bow to threats and will fight hard when need be.
Until it suites them to change their mind.
Didn't we hear this story before? Get a clue people. They lied before. They're lying now.
Here we go again.....
Albert Einstein
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
It would seem Kim Jong Un sees the benefits his starving country stands to gain by complying with nuclear inspectors. Unlike Irans Ahmadinejad who is willing to let his people suffer as martyrs for as long as ten to twenty years while he gets his nuclear arsenal off the gound. I'm not sure which is worse, starving a country that is definitely building a nuclear arsenal or lifting sanctions and feeding a country that may secretly still be developing a nuclear arsenal on the side. By starving them you make it harder for them to import the goods to build a nuclear weapon and prolong the process but still allow them to get a weapon built. Or you take their word for it that they've halted all nuclear production which enables them to live stronger as a country without sanctions and grow in strength with borders open to receive as many shipments of parts as they need to continue building a nuclear arsenal on the side.
Did you know if you say Gullible really slow it sounds like strawberries?
Crazson34,
I never gave up my lunch money to avoid getting my ass kicked and I'm on the left. I did have a few rich kids try to take it from me. It never worked out the way they planned. When you spend all your free time cutting fire wood, milking cows (by hand), shovling @!$%#, and many other hard task you aren't willing to let some one just take it from you. However, if you see some one who needs it and can't get it for themselves you may be willing to help out, its called doing the right thing. But since you think all democrats are whimps because we would like to try deplomacy first: mabey we could meet at the park after school one day. We can each bring $1.25 and see who leaves with $2.50
American, I've spent the last 20 years as an iron worker and I know what hard work is. The North does not need it. It goes to their military. We've played this game before and anyone who thinks we'll get a different result this time is an idiot. By the way, I was never the kid who took the lunch money, i defended them but if you wanted to play that game in the park, I could use $1.25. The food on the roach coach just went up.
Just enrichment at Yongbyon or at any and all of their facilities (disclosed or undisclosed)/ We need to see the details please. Last time we entered such a deal NK gave us the stiff arm after we went through with our end of the bargain.
Another foreign policy victory for team Obama. The next step is to stop the Iranian nuclear program. They seem to be saying they will allow inspections. Obama is making the world a little safer. Sometimes diplomacy trumps war.