World's nuclear watchdog urges DPRK to fully comply with UN resolutions

The world's watchdog for nuclear security on Monday here urged the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to fully comply with its obligations under the United Nations (UN) resolutions.

Yukiya Amano, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said at a press meeting in Austria's capital of Vienna that the agency has been keeping a close eye on the DPRK, even though no IAEA inspectors have access to the country's nuclear facilities since the DPRK decided to end all cooperation with the agency in April 2009.

The IAEA now resorts to satellite images to observe some of the country's nuclear activities.

"It is deeply regrettable that the DPRK has shown no indication that it is willing to comply with the Security Council resolution adopted in response to its nuclear test earlier this year," Amano said.

"I call upon the DPRK to comply fully with its obligations under relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate promptly with the agency in implementing its NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty) Safeguards Agreement, and to resolve all outstanding issues," he said.

However, the nuclear agency refuses to evaluate the DPRK's capability of producing nuclear weapons, saying that it is not its job.

"The agency remains ready to contribute to the peaceful resolution of the DPRK nuclear issue by resuming its verification activities once a political agreement is reached among countries concerned," Amano said.

The DPRK claimed it successfully carried out four nuclear weapon tests in the past 10 years or so. Endi