Special coverage: North Korea Nuclear Issue Related readings: US, DPRK 'reach deal on frozen funds' N.Korea plans to close nuke facility N.Korea insists US unfreeze $25m Dispute over N.Korea funds may be over Nuke disarmament complex: IAEA DPRK 'committed' to disarmament pact

North Korea boycotted the six-nation talks for more than a year after Washington blacklisted the tiny, privately run Banco Delta Asia on suspicion the funds were connected to money-laundering or counterfeiting.

The two Koreas, the US, Japan, Russia and host China are trying to fine-tune a timetable for North Korea's disarmament under the February agreement.

North Korea would ultimately receive assistance equivalent to 1 million tons of heavy fuel oil if it fully discloses and dismantles all its nuclear programs.

Meanwhile, South Korea said Thursday it would resume emergency flood aid to North Korea that had been suspended after last year's nuclear test, the latest sign that Pyongyang's recent agreement on nuclear disarmament has warmed ties between the Koreas.

South Korea's Vice Unification Minister Shin Eon-sang said the aid that had been pledged to help North Korea cope with floods last summer would be resumed. Seoul has previously said it would send food and medical supplies along with construction materials and equipment.

South Korea is also resuming regular fertilizer shipments to the North later this month that had been part of its annual aid to its neighbor.

Shin said the government decided to resume the aid considering progress in the international nuclear talks, requests from the North and the fact that it was purely humanitarian assistance as part of emergency relief.

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