N. Korea says it hopes nuclear deal will be implemented smoothly

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
North Korea said Friday the country still hopes for a smooth implementation of an aid-for-disarmament deal with the United States and other countries, after failing to meet a year-end deadline to declare its nuclear programs. The North's Foreign Ministry claimed that the country drew up a list of its nuclear programs in November, and informed the United States of its contents. It also claimed that Pyongyang offered an explanation to the United States regarding suspicions about its alleged uranium enrichment program and nuclear cooperation with Syria. The statement, carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency, was the first official North Korean reaction to the missed deadline.