Geneva, June 7 (IANS) North Korea has resumed activities at a weapon-oriented nuclear plant, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has announced.
"It is deeply regrettable that North Korea 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," IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano said at a press conference here on Monday,
He added that satellite images of North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear reactor suggested the country has "resumed the activities of five megawatt reactors or enrichment or reprocessing", EFE news reported.
The IAEA also referred to research institutes in the US which have noticed through satellite images that Pyongyang has ramped up work at the plant, and have noted "smoke from a coal-fired plant providing steam for reprocessing activity".
In addition, US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said North Korea had restarted its reactor at Yongbyon and would be capable within weeks or months of producing plutonium, a key material in nuclear weapons.
The Yongbyon reactor, located about 100 km north of Pyongyang, is where North Korea acquires its plutonium for use in bombs.
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