SEOUL, Dec 31: North Korea’s nuclear complex capable of producing weapons-grade plutonium was shut off from outside monitoring on Tuesday, as the United States warned the impoverished country faced further isolation over its nuclear ambitions.

Two inspectors from the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has been monitoring North Korea’s nuclear facilities for the past eight years, arrived in Beijing Tuesday after being expelled.

North Korea had ordered the inspectors to leave the country amid an escalating nuclear standoff over its plans to revive the mothballed nuclear complex at Yongbyon, 90kms north of Pyongyang.

As Pyongyang threw a cloak of secrecy over the nuclear plant, IAEA officials said the inspectors would submit their report on North Korea to the agency’s board on Jan 6.

The inspectors were carrying home the IAEA’s most sensitive documents and equipment used to monitor a freeze on nuclear activities at the complex under a US-North Korean accord signed in 1994.

Their departure deprives the international community of detailed information about the North’s nuclear activities. Daily reports from the inspectors have kept the world abreast in recent days of the North’s moves to reactivate its nuclear programme.

The removal of UN surveillance in Yongbyon followed North Korea’s threats on Sunday that it could pull out of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The North’s nuclear brinkmanship triggered an angry response from the United States, which said North Korea would pay “a serious price” in withheld international aid.

“The entire world stands ready to help North Korea, but North Korea will not realize any of the benefits and the help that they need until they reverse (their) current course,” said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.

“North Korea is continuing to isolate itself,” he said. “As long as they continue down their current course, North Korea will continue to pay a serious price.”

The US warning, however, drew a lukewarm response from South Korea, a close ally since the 1950-53 Korean war, and Russia.

Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov issued Moscow’s strongest condemnation yet of the former ally’s nuclear programme. But he insisted sanctions against Pyongyang were premature.

South Korean president-elect Roh Moo-Hyun also reinforced Seoul’s rejection of US moves to punish North Korea with economic sanctions.

“It ought to be borne in mind that a failed US policy toward the North would be a matter of life and death for South Koreans while it would not be to US citizens,” Roh said.

“Therefore, any US actions (toward the North) must give priority to South Korea’s stance.”

Washington has prepared a policy of “tailored containment” against North Korea, putting financial and political pressure on Pyongyang as the next step.

US officials downplayed an apparent rift with South Korea and Russia over how to deal with North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons.—Reuters