North Korea agreed to suspend nuclear tests, long-range missile launches and its activities at an important nuclear facility in an announcement yesterday that represents a surprise breakthrough for nuclear diplomacy.
The US state department said North Korea would allow for the return of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to the Yongbyon facility, where it has been enriching uranium.
The announcement represents the first important decision taken by Kim Jong-eun, who took power last year on the death of his father, Kim Jong-il. The agreement will ease some of the anxieties in the region about the succession of the new leader, who is in only his late 20s.