North Korea to allow IAEA inspectors in - Richardson

BEIJING Dec 21 (Reuters) - North Korea will allow inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) into the country to ensure that Pyongyang is not processing highly enriched uranium, Bill Richardson, governor of the U.S. state of New Mexico, said on Tuesday after leaving Pyongyang.

"They showed a certain pragmatism by not proceeding with retaliation," Richardson told reporters after arriving in Beijing from the North Korean capital, where he was on a private trip seeking to ease tensions.

The North Koreans appeared to recognise they had "moved too negatively against negotiations," he added.

North Korea stepped back from confrontation over "reckless" military drills by the South on Monday and reportedly issued a new offer on nuclear inspections, drawing a cautious response from Seoul and Washington. (Reporting by Chris Buckley; Editing by Sui-Lee Wee and Benjamin Kang Lim)