North Korea agreed to begin disabling the facilities in exchange for energy assistance from other related parties, said Lim Sung-nam, South Korea's representative at a working-group talk in the village of Panmunjom.

"We had very productive and specific technical discussions," Lim said. "The sides reached an unofficial understanding that the promised energy assistance equivalent to 950,000 tons of heavy fuel oil will be provided in the form of 450,000 tons of heavy oil and other assistance equivalent to 500,000 tons of heavy oil," Lim explained.

Representatives from China, South and North Korea, the US, Russia, and Japan launched the two-day working-group talks at Panmunjom Monday.

North Korea sparked world alarm in October 2006 by testing its first nuclear weapon; however, leaders agreed in February to declare and disable its nuclear programs in return for 1 million tons of heavy fuel oil or equivalent energy aid.

After North Korea shut down its nuclear reactor and other plants in July, South Korea sent an initial 50,000 tons of oil.

(Xinhua News Agency October 31, 2007)