The Yongbyon nuclear center of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the cooling tower that is to be blown up on Friday are shown in this photo taken on February 5, 2003. [File Photo: Xinhua/Agencies]

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The cooling tower at Yongbyon, the nuclear center of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), may be blasted on Friday afternoon, said a DPRK official Thursday.

The DPRK official, on condition of anonymity, asked the correspondents planning to cover the destruction to gather at 1:00 pm local time Friday, saying the explosion may come at 4:00 pm or 5:00 pm local time.

TV crews from the five countries in nuclear talks with the DPRK -- China, the United States, South Korea, Japan and Russia -- arrived at the Pyongyang Sunan international airport Thursday afternoon.

The DPRK submitted its nuclear declaration to China, the chair of the six-party talks, Thursday afternoon.

Prior to the submission, Wu Dawei, China's top negotiator on the Korean Peninsular nuclear issue, said the United States will implement its obligations to remove the designation of the DPRK as a state sponsor of terrorism and to terminate application of the Trading with the Enemy Acts.

Under an agreement reached at the six-party talks in Beijing in October last year, the DPRK agreed to abandon all nuclear weapons and programs and declare all its nuclear programs and facilities by the end of 2007, in exchange for diplomatic and economic incentives.

However, the DPRK missed the deadline despite reported progress in its nuclear disablement and declaration.

The United States has urged the DPRK to fully declare its nuclear programs and activities.