In a recent report by a United Nations nuclear watchdog group, concerns were expressed over the state of North Korea’s nuclear program.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has not been granted direct access to North Korean nuclear sites for verifications of their denuclearization progress, but has observed activities using satellite imagery, which it calls a “grave concern,” CNN reported Tuesday.
“The continuation and further development of the DPRK’s nuclear programme and related statements by the DPRK are a cause for grave concern,” the report said.
“The Director General continues to call upon the DPRK to comply fully with its obligations under relevant UN Security Council resolutions, to cooperate promptly with the Agency in the full and effective implementation of its NPT Safeguards Agreement and to resolve all outstanding issues, including those that have arisen during the absence of Agency inspectors from the DPRK,” the report concluded.
In June, IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano applauded the summit and denuclearization agreement between President Trump and Kim Jong Un, adding: “The IAEA stands ready to undertake any verification activities in the DPRK that it may be requested to conduct by the countries concerned, subject to authorization by the IAEA’s Board of Governors,” Sputnik News reported.
In July, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said North Korea was still making nuclear materials, but provided no other details. He said the U.S. and North Korea still have a long way to go in building trust and achieving denuclearization.