(VOVWORLD) - North Korea has been showing signs of operating a thermal plant used to provide heat to a nuclear fuel rod reprocessing facility, the chief of the UN nuclear watchdog said, an indication that Pyongyang could try to harvest plutonium for nuclear weapons.
During Monday's session of the International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of Governors, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi took note of the indications at the Yongbyon complex, north of Pyongyang, saying that there are recent indications of operation of the steam plant that serves the radiochemical laboratory.
The continuation of North Korea’s nuclear program is a clear violation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions and is deeply regrettable, he added.
He called on North Korea to comply fully with its obligations under Security Council resolutions, to cooperate promptly with the Agency in the full and effective implementation of its Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Safeguards Agreement and to resolve all outstanding issues.