Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said Thursday that he is optimistic about the denuclearization in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

At a joint news conference with South Korean Vice Prime Minister Kim Woo-sik here, ElBaradei said the shut-down and seal of the DPRK's key nuclear facilities will go smoothly as the DPRK has pledged to do so despite months of delay in implementing the denuclearization measures.

It will be "a good step" for the DPRK to move towards the denuclearization he said at the conference.

The IAEA will make sure there's enough monitoring equipment to ensure the IAEA can verify and provide assurance on the shutdown of the nuclear facilities in the DPRK, he said.

He also appealed at the conference that all parties of the six- party talks, namely China, the DPRK, the United States, Russia, South Korea and Japan, make every effort for the denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.

ElBaradei arrived here on Wednesday to attend a forum marking the 50th anniversary of cooperation between South Korea and the IAEA. He met with South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun on Wednesday and discussed the nuclear issues on the Korea Peninsula.

The IAEA is expected to send a group of nuclear monitors to Pyongyang on Saturday to verify and monitor the proposed shutdown of the DPRK's nuclear facilities, including the operational nuclear reactor at the DPRK's northeastern city of Yongbyon.

Source: Xinhua