North Korea Remains Active at Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site - IAEA Chief

VIENNA (Sputnik) – North Korea remains active at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi said on Monday.

"The Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site remains ready to support a nuclear test, and we continue to see signs of activity in the vicinity of Adit 3 and in the support area. The reopening of the nuclear test site is deeply troubling," Grossi said in his opening statement at the IAEA Board of Governors meeting.

Grossi expressed regret over the continuation of North Korea's nuclear program, which is "a clear violation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions."

The IAEA chief also noted an increase in construction work at North Korea's main nuclear site at Yongbyon.

"Since March 2023, the Agency has seen indications of ongoing operation of nuclear facilities, and a significant increase in construction activities at the Yongbyon site," Grossi concluded.

On May 30, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol called for boosting cooperation to block North Korea from financing its nuclear and missile programs in circumvention of UN Security Council sanctions.

On June 2, Russia's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Anna Evstigneeva said that the root cause of spiraling tensions in the zone of the Korean Peninsula was the United States and its allies' desire to increase pressure on North Korea.