North Korea’s nuclear facilities at Yongbyon are operational, the director of its Atomic Energy Institute said Tuesday via the Korea Central News Agency (KCNA).

This includes its uranium enrichment plant and 5MW graphite-moderated reactor, he said.

The report stated that the U.S.’ hostile policy toward the North has forced it to obtain nuclear weapons, and scientists and technicians are working to upgrade its production day by day.

Chae Gyu-chul, senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Strategy in Seoul said North Korea is trying to expand the IRT 2000reactor, imported from the Soviet Union in 1963 for research