North Korea - New Satellite Images Show NOKO Dismantling Nuclear Test Site

As yet another indication of the Trump administration’s success in pushing for peace, North Korea is fulfilling its early declaration of dismantling its nuclear test site ahead of the historic summit between President Donald Trump and their leader, Kim Jong-un.

North Korea made the vow over the weekend, and it was certainly an announcement that was welcomed and appreciated by allies Washington and Seoul. North Korea promised to “completely” destroy the Punggye-Ri test site. There will be a ceremony to be held on May 23-25 for the said purpose in front of invited foreign media.

https://thegoldwater.com/news/25587-Trump-Will-Meet-With-Kim-Jong-Un-In-Singapore

The prestigious monitoring group 38 North website said on Tuesday that based on satellite images dated May 7, “the first definitive evidence that dismantlement of the test site was already well underway.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Recent commercial satellite imagery has provided definitive evidence that the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DPRK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DPRK</a> has begun dismantling the Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site<a href="https://t.co/ILVR1hpmlw">https://t.co/ILVR1hpmlw</a></p>&mdash; 38 North (@38NorthNK) <a href="https://twitter.com/38NorthNK/status/996132301527535616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Before and after satellite photos show North Korea has begun dismantling its Punggye-ri nuclear test site <a href="https://t.co/xNdB8iIes9">https://t.co/xNdB8iIes9</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/38NorthNK?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@38NorthNK</a> <a href="https://t.co/kkP0IQkFJj">pic.twitter.com/kkP0IQkFJj</a></p>&mdash; Dave Brown (@dave_brown24) <a href="https://twitter.com/dave_brown24/status/996195676462764032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Punggye-ri, located in the northeast of North Korea, has been the site of all six of Pyongyang’s nuclear tests, the latest and most powerful of which was launched in September last year which the Kim government said involved an H-bomb.

The pledge to dismantle the nuclear test site was issued after Kim declared his country’s nuclear force complete and said Pyongyang has “no further need” for the complex.

Related Coverage:

https://thegoldwater.com/news/25621-President-Trump-Greets-Freed-US-Detainees-At-Andrews-Airport

The monitoring group also said that several key operational buildings, as well as smaller sheds, had been razed. Rails connecting the tunnels to their waste piles were likewise removed. Since March, the excavation of a new tunnel has also been terminated.

There were also images that show preparatory work for the destruction ceremony has also started, including a newly positioned foundation among the waste files, presumed to be built for the invited journalists.

Some main buildings are still intact and no tunnel entrances have been permanently closed giving rise to speculations that such work will likely be carried out in front of the foreign media.

President Donald Trump welcomed the declaration to dismantle by North Korea. In a tweet on Saturday, Trump wrote: “North Korea has announced that they will dismantle Nuclear Test Site this month, ahead of the big Summit Meeting on June 12th. Thank you, a very smart and gracious gesture!”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">North Korea has announced that they will dismantle Nuclear Test Site this month, ahead of the big Summit Meeting on June 12th. Thank you, a very smart and gracious gesture!</p>&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/995410516129538048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Source:

http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2146135/new-satellite-images-appear-show-north-korea-dismantling-its