The government has expressed regret over North Korea’s announcement that it refuses to let international inspectors remove nuclear samples from its plant where arms-grade plutonium is processed.

In a statement on Wednesday night, the Foreign Ministry in Seoul said reaffirmed that a thorough nuclear verification must be carried out to confirm the North’s declaration of its nuclear programs and materials.

The ministry added that the government will closely consult with other members of the six-way nuclear talks to resolve the North’s nuclear issue.

Earlier on Wednesday, the North’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that methods of verification will be confined to field visits, document confirmation and interviews of technicians, making clear it will not allow the extraction of samples from nuclear plants.