IAEA Calls on North Korea to Admit Nuclear Inspectors

Says it can’t confirm purpose of activities without access.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency called for the “permanent dismantlement of the nuclear facilities” in one of North Korea’s nuclear reactors on Thursday, but acknowledged that “without access, the agency cannot confirm the nature and purpose of these activities.” Director General Yukiya Amano, the head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog organization, did not elaborate on what activity had been observed at the facility in question, where the country produces plutonium, but called on North Korea to comply with international nuclear observation standards. “I again call upon [North Korea] to comply fully with its obligations under relevant resolutions of the U.N. Security Council and of the IAEA board, to cooperate promptly with the agency and to resolve all outstanding issues.” North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un and President Donald Trump had loosely agreed on an ill-defined reduction of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, but the nation has been observed to continue upgrading its nuclear reactors since the summit.