The U.N. nuclear watchdog says that North Korea has shut down its nuclear reactor in Yongbyon.

The U.N.'s chief nuclear inspector Mohamed ElBaradei, who heads the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said a team of agency monitors dispatched to the isolated communist country has confirmed the shutdown.

Elbaradei noted that the IAEA inspectors reported the verification process was going well and had Pyongyang’s cooperation, calling the developments a step in the right direction.

The IAEA chief is visiting Bangkok, Thailand, after a visit to Seoul last week.