IAEA chief: Activities observed at DPRK's nuclear site

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"Further activities" were recently observed near the Kuryong River in Yongbyon, where a major nuclear research facility of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is located, according to Yukiya Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

In a statement to the IAEA's Board of Governors published on the agency's website on Thursday, Amano said the activities "may be related to changes to the cooling infrastructure for the 5MW(e) reactor and the Light Water Reactor," adding that "it is likely that the 5MW(e) reactor was shut down while some of these activities were conducted."

The United Nations atomic watchdog also observed "activities consistent with the fabrication of reactor components and the possible transfer of these components into the reactor building."

IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano. /VCG Photo

Nevertheless, the IAEA chief admitted that the agency "cannot confirm the nature and purpose of these activities" without access to the facility.

The IAEA has not had access to the DPRK since 2009 and mainly monitors activities there through satellite imagery, meaning it cannot confirm its observations.

Amano vowed that the watchdog will continue to play its role in verifying Pyongyang's nuclear program.

"I again call upon the DPRK to comply fully with its obligations under relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and of the IAEA Board, to cooperate promptly with the Agency and to resolve all outstanding issues," he said.

DPRK leader Kim Jong Un (R) and South Korean President Moon Jae-in attend a luncheon in Pyongyang, DPRK, September 19, 2018. /VCG Photo

The DPRK has not responded to Amano's remarks.

Under a joint declaration signed by DPRK leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in during their summit in Pyongyang in September, the DPRK said it is willing to continue with additional steps toward denuclearization, such as the permanent destruction of its main Yongbyon nuclear facility if the United States takes corresponding actions.

(Cover: In June 2008, the DPRK destroyed the cooling tower at its Yongbyon nuclear complex, marking a symbolic step toward denuclearization. /VCG Photo)

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