IAEA team likely to arrive in North Korea July 14

SEOUL (Reuters) - U.N. nuclear inspectors are likely to arrive in North Korea on Saturday to verify a promised shutdown of the country's nuclear reactor, the source of its bomb-grade plutonium, the head of the IAEA said on Wednesday.

North Korea seems poised to shut its Yongbyon reactor as a part of a six-way disarmament deal reached in February, and the International Atomic Energy Agency said Pyongyang had invited its inspectors back to the reclusive country.

"I think they will travel on the 14th, so hopefully they will arrive there on the 14th," IAEA director Mohamed ElBaradei said upon arriving in South Korea.

Asked if he expected North Korea to begin what experts said should be a rather quick process to shut its Soviet-era reactor, ElBaradei said: "We will verify that they will shut it. Whether they shut it before or not, that is immaterial."

Under Pyongyang's February 13 deal with South Korea, China, Japan, Russia and the United States, the energy-starved North would receive 50,000 tons of fuel oil supplied by the South. A first shipment is due to arrive on Saturday.

A North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman said last week that Pyongyang was considering suspending its operations at the Yongbyon complex when the first shipment arrives.

"North Korea has returned to the verification process, and I hope that it leads to its return to NPT and the removal of its nuclear weapons," ElBaradei told South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun, according to a South Korean pool report.

North Korea quit the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in January 2003, just weeks after restarting the Yongbyon reactor and expelling IAEA inspectors. It conducted its sole nuclear test in October 2006.

The six parties are expected to resume discussions next week on ending Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program in exchange for massive oil aid, security assurances and better diplomatic standing, South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-soon said.

"It should be thought that the crude oil arriving in North Korea, the IAEA visiting North Korea, and the shutdown of its nuclear facility will all occur around the same time -- that's how we and the related countries view it to happen," Song said at a news briefing on Wednesday.

(With additional reporting by Jessica Kim)