North Korea is reportedly restoring facilities at its long-range rocket launch site that it had dismantled as part of disarmament steps last year. The development came after a high-stakes nuclear summit last week between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump ended without any agreement.
In this April 8, 2012 file photo, a North Korean soldier stands in front of the country's Unha-3 rocket at Sohae Satellite Station in Tongchang-ri, North Korea. SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of -- North Korea is reportedly restoring facilities at its long-range rocket launch site that it had dismantled as part of disarmament steps last year.
South Korea's JoongAng Ilbo newspaper reported Wednesday that the country's spy service gave such an assessment on the North's Tongchang-ri launch site to lawmakers in a private briefing Tuesday. Dismantling parts of its long-range rocket launch facility in the northwest was among several steps the North took last year when it entered talks with the United States and South Korea. The site is where North Korea carried out satellite launches in recent years, inviting rounds of sanctions from the U.N. that saw it as disguised test of missile technology.
Suh was quoted as saying that the move is seen as a preparation to restart long-range missile test-launches in the event that nuclear diplomacy completely collapses or to add some structures to blow up the launch site more dramatically in a show of denuclearization commitment when U.S. inspectors visit if negotiations with Washington go well.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
U.S., South Korea end spring military drills in diplomatic gesture to North KoreaThe drills will be replaced with smaller exercises as part of efforts to support diplomacy aimed at resolving the North Korean nuclear crisis.
Read more »
South Korea will work with U.S. and North Korea to ensure denuclearization agreement reachedThe second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, in Vietnam, was cut short after they failed to reach a deal on the extent of sanctions relief North Korea would get
Read more »
U.S., South Korea to end springtime military drills in signal to NorthSouth Korea and the U.S. are ending their massive springtime military drills as part of efforts to support diplomacy aimed at resolving the North Korean nuclear crisis.
Read more »
In the U.S.-North Korea summit’s ashes, nothing – and everything – changesGiven chemistry and expectations of a deal, the collapse of Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un’s Hanoi summit sent shockwaves across Asia and, potentially, U.S. policy
Read more »
U.S., North Korea offer duelling accounts on why talks broke downNorth Korea insisted it had asked only partial sanctions relief in exchange for shutting down its main nuclear complex
Read more »
South Korea, U.S. end spring military drills in hopes of restoring diplomacy with NorthSouth Korea and the U.S. are ending their massive springtime military drills as part of efforts to support diplomacy aimed at resolving the North Korean nuclear crisis.
Read more »
North Korea has started rebuilding rocket test site it dismantled last year, satellite imagery showsThe development came after a high-stakes nuclear summit last week between Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump ended without any agreement
Read more »
North Korea rebuilds part of missile site it promised Trump to dismantleSouth Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) reported said work was taking place at the Tongchang-ri launch site and involved replacing a roof and a door at the facility
Read more »