U.S.: Cautious optimism with N. Korea

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- North Korea is rushing toward an end-of-year deadline to disable a key nuclear facility that produced materials to make nuclear bombs, the United States said Wednesday.

The disabling is going well at three sections of the Yongbyon complex: the fuel fabrication facility, the reactor and the reprocessing center, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said.

The goal is to disable Yongbyon by the end of the year, so North Korea can't easily make nuclear bombs, according to a transcript of Hill's comments to reporters in Beijing.

One potential hurdle is a declaration spelling out what North Korea has been hiding.

On Thursday, South Korea's top diplomat said such a declaration was being delayed and that talks were at a crucial juncture, The Associated Press reported.

"The nuclear issue is now at a watershed of whether it goes to a stable phase or undergoes a squeaking and bumpy" phase, AP quoted him as saying.

Under a deal made in February, North Korea is required to hand over a list of all its nuclear facilities, materials and programs by December 31. But the United States and North Korea cannot agree on what items need to be on the list.

Hill would characterize discussions only as a "useful exchange" and said he expects the deadline to be met. E-mail to a friend

CNN's Zain Verjee and Charley Keyes contributed to this report.

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