The reactor is part of North Korea’s Yongbyon nuclear complex, the possible dismantling of which was a central issue in talks between US President Donald Trump and DPRK Chairman Kim Jong Un in Hanoi last week.

The IAEA has not had access to North Korea since Pyongyang expelled its inspectors in 2009, and it now monitors North Korea’s nuclear activities mainly through satellite imagery. The IAEA said it is ready to play a verification role in North Korea once a political agreement is reached on its nuclear activities.