Mubasher: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) did not find any signs that North Korea has ceased its nuclear activities.

“The continuation and further development of the DPRK’s [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] nuclear program and related statements by the DPRK are a cause for grave concern,” the IAEA said in a report published late on Monday, and is due to be submitted to the nuclear watchdog’s board meeting next month.

Between late April and early May, indications of a steam plant’s operation, which serves a radiochemical laboratory, were detected, yet the time duration was not long enough for the re-processing of a complete core from the nuclear power reactor, the Vienna-headquartered agency said.

“As the agency remains unable to carry out verification activities in the DPRK, its knowledge of the DPRK’s nuclear program is limited and, as further nuclear activities take place in the country, this knowledge is declining,” the IAEA said, recommending itself to be placed to verify a deal.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump told Reuters that he believed that Pyongyang took specific steps towards denuclearisation, while he “most likely” would meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Although the North Korean leader vowed to work on denuclearising the Korean peninsula, in a landmark summit in Singapore with his US counterpart Trump, Pyongyang gave no tangible indication that it is willing to dismantle its nuclear arsenal.