TOKYO - JAPANESE news reports say North Korea has begun to reassemble its main nuclear facility, citing a delayed removal from a US list of terror sponsors.

Japan's public broadcaster NHK and Kyodo News agency said North Korea started putting its Yongbyon facility back together on Tuesday, days after it halted disablement work.

The reports on Wednesday unidentified officials related to the disarmament talks.

Washington says the North must first agree to a plan to verify its nuclear declaration before being removed from the terror blacklist.

Japan's Foreign Ministry officials said the report could not be confirmed immediately. -- AP