SEOUL: The UN nuclear watchdog plans to leave inspectors behind in North Korea's main nuclear facilities after shutting them down under a disarmament deal, a news report said on Sunday.

An eight-member International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team will visit North Korea on July 14 or 17 to monitor and verify the shutdown of the Yongbyon nuclear facilities, Yonhap news agency said quoting unnamed sources.

“Six of them will return home as soon as the shutting down and sealing of nuclear facilities are completed, while the remaining two will stay permanently at Yongbyon for monitoring work,” Yonhap said.

Under a six-nation deal reached in February, North Korea agreed to eventually disable Yongbyon in return for energy aid equivalent to one million tonnes of heavy fuel oil and diplomatic concessions.

The IAEA’s board of directors is expected to meet and approve on Monday spending 3.9 million euros to monitor the North’s first steps in dismantling its nuclear weapons programme.

IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei has requested 1.7 million euros in 2007 and 2.2 million euros in 2008 for monitoring and verifying the North's disarmament, according to a confidential report obtained by AFP.