VIENNA, May 2 -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is making progress with its nuclear program and its launching of missiles is extremely worrying, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Tuesday.
"I remain seriously concerned about the nuclear programme of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Last year, it carried out two more nuclear tests. It continues to launch missiles and threaten other countries. This is extremely worrying," IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano told a conference.
The DPRK declared its withdrawal from The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation (NPT) of Nuclear Weapons in 2003. All IAEA nuclear inspectors have since left the country, making it difficult to monitor the DPRK's atomic program. The DPRK is no longer an IAEA member state.
"Without direct access to relevant sites and locations, the agency cannot confirm the operational status of North Korea's nuclear facilities. But all the indications suggest that North Korea is making progress with its nuclear program," the chief of the UN nuclear watchdog said.
He said that though it is difficult, his team was trying to collect information regarding the DPRK's nuclear program, urge the country to fully comply with relevant UN Security Council resolutions and cooperate with the agency in implementing its NPT Safeguards Agreement.