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Rafael Grossi, the director general of the IAEA, announces the start of the board of governors meeting in Vienna, Austria, on Sept. 12. (courtesy IAEA)

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) revealed that North Korea is preparing for an additional nuclear test at its nuclear testing site in Punggye Village, Kilju County, North Hamgyong Province. The nuclear facility at Yongbyon, North Pyongan Province, also showed signs of an activated nuclear reactor as well as an expanded uranium enrichment facility.

During his opening address for the IAEA’s board of governors meeting held in Vienna, Austria, on Monday, the agency’s director general, Rafael Grossi, stated, “As I reported in June, we have observed indications that Adit 3 at the Nuclear Test Site at Punggye-ri has been reopened,” adding that the agency had “very recently observed renewed work on the road leading to Adit 4.”

Though extensive work on the testing site was not observed over the summer, the agency continues to “observe indications that the site remains active and prepared to support a nuclear test,” Rossi said.

“The conduct of a nuclear test would contravene UN Security Council resolutions and would be a cause of serious concern,” he added.

“There are ongoing indications that the 5MW(e) reactor is operating and we have observed indications of intermittent activity at the Radiochemical Laboratory consistent with possible waste treatment or maintenance activities,” Grossi went on.

“We have observed indications that the reported Centrifuge Enrichment facility at Yongbyon continues to operate and is now externally complete, expanding the building’s available floor space by approximately one-third.”

He also noted that the agency had “observed the completion of several new buildings near the light water reactor.”

“At the 50MW(e) reactor, construction of which stopped in 1994,” he said, “we have observed the dismantling of buildings and the removal of some material, likely for re-use in other construction projects.”

Additionally, “ongoing indications of activities at the Kangsan complex and the Pyongsan Mine and Concentration Plant” were observed, Grossi said.

By Jung In-hwan, staff reporter

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