North Korea's nuclear activities continue to violate United Nations Security Council resolutions and "remain a cause for serious concern," the acting director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) told a UN General Assembly meeting on Monday.

The remarks, delivered by Cornel Feruta, the IAEA's acting leader, made clear, as in previous years, that the IAEA is not satisfied with the North's current proclaimed efforts to denuclearize — but would be there to assist as soon as Pyongyang and its various negotiating partners are ready to strike a deal.