North Korea

VIENNA, Austria — Diplomats say North Korea is again allowing United Nations monitors to inspect its main nuclear facility.

South Korea is considering expanding cross-border projects with North Korea following major progress in an international standoff over the communist country's nuclear program, an official said Monday.

North Korea on Monday restored access for U.N. monitors to its atom bomb complex following a deal with Washington to salvage a denuclearization process endangered by disputes over verification, diplomats said.

South Korea has not seen signs of North Korea restarting work to take apart its nuclear plant as Pyongyang pledged to do at the weekend, a government official said on Monday, but Seoul could send aid once that work begins.

The decision comes in response to the U.S. decision to take the nation off a list of terrorism sponsors. North Korea said Sunday that it was resuming the dismantlement of its nuclear program in response to President Bush's decision to remove it from a list of nations that sponsor terrorism.

South Korea may reward North Korea for reaching a compromise to save a crumbling nuclear disarmament deal by sending a delayed shipment of steel aid to its destitute neighbor, a government official indicated on Monday.

The confirmation comes a day after the United States said it will remove North Korea from its terrorism blacklist.

North Korea on Sunday welcomed the move and said that it would resume disabling its nuclear weapons facilities.

North Korea welcomed its removal from Washington?s terrorism blacklist and confirmed that it would resume disabling its main nuclear weapons complex.

The Bush administration removed North Korea from its terrorism blacklist yesterday, a move that was aimed at salvaging a sputtering nuclear disarmament deal but that sparked internal controversy, infuriated Japan and drew some Republican opposition.