U.S. Jeopardizing Inspection Pact, N. Korea Says

North Korea accused the United States on Friday of making “ill-boding” moves that could threaten an agreement under which Pyongyang will allow international inspections of its nuclear facilities.

In the agreement reached Thursday, the United States promised to reopen high-level talks with the Communist regime and suspend this year’s military exercises with South Korea in return for the north’s allowing the nuclear inspections and improving diplomatic contacts with the rival south.

U.S. officials say the U.S.-North Korea talks and suspension of military exercises also depend on an exchange of special envoys between north and south.

But North Korea’s first foreign vice minister, Kang Sok Ju, said the envoy exchange was not part of the agreement, which mentioned only renewed talks for an exchange and “did not touch on the fulfillment of the exchange.”

Kang said in a statement that “ill-boding moves have been reported one after another, giving rise to doubt about the willingness of the United States to implement the conclusions.”

In Washington, however, a State Department spokeswoman said Friday that an agreement on the exchange of envoys had been put in writing and that the United States expects it to be honored.

On Thursday, inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency, which North Korea had rejected for over a year, began at the Yongbyon nuclear complex.

U.S. intelligence officials believe that North Korea already has enough weapons-grade plutonium to construct one or more nuclear weapons. The north maintains that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.