North Korea has reportedly expressed its intention not to remove eight-thousand spent fuel rods from its five-megawatt Yongbyon reactor during the first stage of nuclear disarmament.

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) official said Wednesday that North Korea will discuss how to dispose of its nuclear materials including spent fuel rods during the upcoming six-party nuclear talks expected to open next month in China.

The official added, however, that it is not certain whether Pyongyang is trying to use the fuel rod issue as a bargaining chip in future negotiations or facing technical problems in disposing of them.

The issue is expected to stir controversy in the upcoming six-party working group meeting next week as well as the main session of the six-way talks next month.