Vienna- North Korea has told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) it wants to remove seals and cameras at its nuclear facilities and plans to resume work in its reprocessing plant, IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei said Monday.

A North Korean official announced last Friday that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), as North Korea is officially called, was working to restart its nuclear facilities in Yongbyong.

"This morning, the DPRK authorities asked the Agency's inspectors to remove seals and surveillance equipment to enable them to carry out tests at the reprocessing plant, which they say will not involve nuclear material," ElBaradei told the IAEA Board of Governors.

However, North Korea's statement "has not changed the shutdown status of the nuclear facilities at Yongbyon," ElBaradei said.

The IAEA has installed seals and cameras to monitor the nuclear freeze that North Korea agreed to with the United States, China, Russia, Japan and South Korea, in exchange for energy aid and an easing of sanctions. (dpa)