North Korea is expected to halt operation of its Yongbyon reactor now that it has received its first shipment of heavy fuel oil.

Government officials said that the first shipment of heavy fuel oil has reached the North Korean port of Seonbong in North Hamgyeong Province.

The 62-hundred tons of heavy oil were sent as the first installment of 50-thousand-tons promised by Seoul under the six-party nuclear agreement reached February 13th. The deal calls for North Korea to disable its nuclear facilities in exchange for economic aid and other benefits.

The two Koreas, the United States, China, Russia and Japan are participating in the negotiations that aim to halt Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.

North Korea's Foreign Ministry said July sixth that once the first heavy oil shipment arrives, Pyongyang will take action to keep its part of the bargain.

In addition to the arrival of the 67-hundred-50-ton tanker that left the South Korean city of Ulsan on Thursday, a ten-person team from the International Atomic Energy Agency will arrive in Pyongyang later in the day.

The inspectors are to monitor the closure and sealing of various nuclear facilities in Yongbyon, a process that will take two to three weeks. Two of them will remain at the site to watch over the controversial plant.

Yongbyon's five-megawatt reactor is the only one operating in North Korea. The site also has a reprocessing plant.