U.S. says North Korea may not meet nuclear deadline

By George Nishiyama

TOKYO (Reuters) - The top U.S. negotiator with North Korea said on Monday it was becoming difficult for Pyongyang to meet a mid-April deadline to close a nuclear reactor, but Washington would not accept a partial shutdown.

Speaking to reporters in Tokyo, Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill urged Pyongyang to implement a nuclear disarmament agreement regardless of a dispute over the transfer of frozen funds to North Korea.

"Clearly we are aiming for a complete fulfilment of the February agreement and we'd like to get it done by day 60," Hill said, referring to the February 13 agreement that gave the North 60 days to shut its nuclear facilities in return for energy aid.

"But obviously that timeline is becoming difficult, but certainly there is no such thing as partial," added Hill, when asked if a partial shutdown of the reactor would be acceptable.

Hill, the top U.S. negotiator on North Korea's nuclear programme, met Japanese officials later on Monday. He is to have more talks on the North Korean nuclear issue in Seoul on Tuesday and Wednesday and in Beijing on Thursday and Friday.

North Korea walked out of six-party talks aimed at ending its nuclear weapons programme last month when the transfer of $25 million (12.8 million pounds) in funds held at Banco Delta Asia (BDA) in Macau failed to go through.

Japan's top government spokesman said the fund dispute should not hold up implementation of the February agreement among the two Koreas, the United States, Japan, China and Russia.

"The BDA issue is outside the framework of the six-party talks. They cannot make that an excuse not to abide by the 30- or the 60-day deadlines. We need to resume the six-party process," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki told a news conference.