by Xinhua Writers Bai Jie and Tan Jingjing

BEIJING, March 14 (Xinhua) -- IAEA Chief Mohamed ElBaradei said here Wednesday that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) wanted to come back as a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

"I met with the DPRK authorities, and discussed how we can have a good relationship between IAEA and DPRK...the visit was quite useful..." said ElBaradei, who arrived here later Wednesday after a two-day visit to DPRK.

The visit "cleared the air" and "opened the door for a normal relationship between IAEA and DPRK", ElBaradei told a press conference in the Chinese capital.

At the invitation of DPRK, ElBaradei paid a visit to the country from Tuesday to Wednesday. He met with Kim Yong-dae, DPRK's deputy top legislator and other senior officials, according to the country's official news agency KCNA.

ElBaradei's trip to Pyongyang has been the first visit by an IAEA director-general since the last visit paid by its former head Hans Blix in 1992.

The DPRK expelled IAEA nuclear inspectors in December 2002, and in January 2003, the country announced its withdrawal from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

ElBaradei told reporters that the DPRK said they are ready to "fully cooperate" with IAEA, and work with the agency to shut down the Yongbyon nuclear facilities.

The DPRK is also willing to accept nuclear inspections but is waiting for the United States to lift its financial sanctions, according to ElBaradei.

"I believe we are moving forward, but it is a complex process which requires input from all sides," he added.

ElBaradei will also meet with Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai Thursday morning, according to a diplomatic source.

Top U.S. envoy to six-party talks Christopher Hill called DPRK's receiving of ElBaradei "obviously a good sign".

"I hope to meet Mr. ElBaradei tomorrow," Hill told reporters upon his arrival in Beijing, adding he wanted to hear what ElBaradei will say.

During the last month's six-party talks in Beijing, the DPRK agreed to give up its nuclear weapons program and to shut down its Yongbyon reactor by mid-April.

Soon after the talks in Beijing, the U.N. nuclear chief said on Feb. 23 that DPRK invited him to visit within the next few weeks for talks on its nuclear program.