Vienna - The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said its inspectors left North Korea Thursday, after Pyongyang reacted to a UN Security Council condemnation by telling them to return to Vienna.

Before leaving, the inspectors were forced on Wednesday to remove all seals and switch off cameras installed by the nuclear agency to monitor that nuclear facilities in Yongbyon remain turned off.

Following the UN Security Council's condemnation of North Korea's recent rocket launch, Pyongyang told the IAEA Tuesday that it would restart all facilities in Yongbyon and that it wanted the inspectors to leave as soon as possible.

The IAEA's presence in North Korea was part of the six-party process between the reclusive communist state and the United States, Russia, China, South Korea and Japan,

Pyongyang agreed in 2005 with the other five governments to abandon its nuclear weapons programme in return for humanitarian aid.