North Korea has reportedly slowed down its nuclear disablement efforts in recent days.

A Foreign Ministry official said Wednesday the North is estimated to be removing 15 nuclear fuel rods a week from its Yongbyon nuclear plant compared to 15 a day last autumn.

The official said the North is apparently making such a move to protest a delay in the provision of promised energy aid.

Among the members of the six-way nuclear talks, the United States and Russia have concluded shipping 200-thousand tons of oil promised under a February 2007 nuclear accord. China is close to completing its scheduled shipments, while South Korea has suspended providing energy aid since last December when the nuclear talks failed to adopt a verification protocol for the North’s nuclear program. Japan, meanwhile, has not even begun sending oil assistance, having stressed the need to settle the issue of Japanese abductees in the North first.

According to the ministry official, the North has removed 80 percent of some eight-thousand spent fuel rods in the Yongbyon facility. However, he was quick to add that the North may altogether halt operations to remove the rods if it does not receive promised energy assistance.