Amano said there has been activity observed at Yongbyon, but “without access the agency cannot confirm the nature and purpose of these activities.” VIENNA: The head of the UN’s atomic watchdog on Thursday called on North Korea to allow inspectors back into the country to monitor its nuclear program. Speaking at a board meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Director General Yukiya Amano noted that Pyongyang had in September talked about denuclearization measures including the “permanent dismantlement of the nuclear facilities in Yongbyon” — a reactor where it produces plutonium. Amano said there has been activity observed at Yongbyon, but “without access the agency cannot confirm the nature and purpose of these activities.” At a news conference later Thursday, he said he couldn’t elaborate on when exactly the activity was observed. IAEA inspectors were expelled from North Korea in 2009 but Amano said the agency continues to prepare for their possible re-admittance. “The agency continues to enhance its readiness to play an essential role in verifying (North Korea’s) nuclear program if a political agreement is reached among countries concerned,” he said. “I again call upon (North Korea) to comply fully with its obligations under relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and of the IAEA board, to cooperate promptly with the agency and to resolve all outstanding issues.”