In November, North Korea announced it had expanded its nuclear program with thousands of centrifuges for uranium enrichment at the plant in Yongbyon.

"We are ready to send our inspectors to North Korea as soon as a deal is reached," Amano said, adding that the IAEA was the only organization engaged in multilateral monitoring of nuclear activities.

"I hope that we can play the most important role in monitoring the North Korean nuclear program," Amano concluded.

Under deals reached in 2007, the North began disabling a nuclear reactor and other facilities at Yongbyon under U.S. supervision in exchange for economic aid and political incentives.

However, in April 2009 the reclusive communist regime expelled IAEA and U.S. nuclear specialists from the country and pulled out of talks with Russia, Japan, China, the United States and South Korea after the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution condemning the North Korea's missile tests.