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SEOUL: North Korea has restored UN monitors' access to its plutonium-producing Yongbyon nuclear complex, a day after the United States removed North Korea from its list of terrorist states.
The move will allow Pyongyang to tap into international finance and come out of its isolation. But experts said it is unlikely that North Korea will be able to receive huge benefits right away.
North Korea was added to the US list of countries supporting terrorism on January 20, 1988, following the bombing by its agents of a Korean Airlines plane on November 29, 1987. All 115 people on board were killed.
North Korea is not known to have sponsored any terrorist acts since that bombing. Apart from North Korea, the others on the list included Iran, Cuba, Syria and Sudan.
Under the Trading with the Enemy Act, North Korea was not allowed to receive US exports. There were also controls on the sales of items with military and civilian uses, and limits to US aid.
Now that the country has been removed from the list, experts said one of the first things North Korea must do is to establish better ties with the United States.
Ryu Kil Jae, professor of North Korean Studies, said: "It's unlikely that North Korea will suddenly receive huge benefits, economically or politically. For North Korea, this has removed the obstacle for it to take the first basic step to becoming a member of the international community."
Analysts added that it is also important that Pyongyang stays off the list, which means the country has to be committed to abandoning its nuclear programmes.
In response to the US action, North Korea has said it would resume taking apart its plutonium-producing Yongbyon nuclear plant and allow inspectors into Pyongyang.
South Korean officials are optimistic that the multilateral talks to resolve the nuclear issue will soon resume, and this will help inter-Korean ties.
Kim Ho Nyoun, spokesman for Unification Ministry, said: "We expect North Korea's removal from the US terrorism list will positively influence inter-Korean ties. We will readjust various programmes between two Koreas."
Official inter-Korean dialogue has come to a halt since South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak came into power in February. Now, Seoul's officials are hoping that the North will come forward with talks.
- CNA/so
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