SEOUL, July 23 (UPI) -- Satellite images show that North Korea has begun dismantling major facilities at a rocket launching site used to test long-range ballistic missiles, a U.S. think tank said.

North Korea appears to have started removing key facilities, such as a missile transfer structure and a rocket engine test stand, used to develop engines for ballistic missiles and space launch vehicles at the Sohae Satellite Launching Station in the northwestern province, satellite photos revealed by 38 North showed.

"Since these facilities are believed to have played an important role in the development of technologies for the North's intercontinental ballistic missile program, these efforts represent a significant confidence building measure on the part of North Korea," 38 North said.

The dismantlement has been made as a follow-up of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's pledge to dismantle one of the missile test sites at the June 12 summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. CBS identified that it was the Sohae Satellite Launching Station that Kim promised to destroy, citing U.S. government officials in June.

The July 20 photo showed that work was underway to remove structures at the launch pad and the engine test stand. Another photo taken two days later shows further progress in removing the launch pad and the continued presence of a crane and vehicles thought to be used for dismantling structures. The July 22 photo shows a visible progress made in the dismantlement.

This Sohae Satellite Launching Station had been used to test major long-range ballistic missiles and satellites.

The facility, completed in 2009, was first used to launch the Unha 3-rocket in April 2012. In February 2016, the North launched its Gwangmyeongsong-4 satellite at the site, a month after the fourth nuclear test, according to Hankyoreh.

It has led the South Korean government's decision to close the North-South joint industrial complex in the North Korean border town of Kaesong. </s> SEOUL, July 24 (UPI) -- Satellite images show that North Korea has begun dismantling major facilities at a rocket launching site used to test long-range ballistic missiles, a U.S. think tank said.

North Korea appears to have started removing key facilities, such as a missile transfer structure and a rocket engine test stand, used to develop engines for ballistic missiles and space launch vehicles at the Sohae Satellite Launching Station in the northwestern province, satellite photos revealed by 38 North showed.

"Since these facilities are believed to have played an important role in the development of technologies for the North's intercontinental ballistic missile program, these efforts represent a significant confidence building measure on the part of North Korea," 38 North said.

The dismantlement has been made as a follow-up of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's pledge to dismantle one of the missile test sites at the June 12 summit with U.S. President Donald Trump.

CBS identified that it was the Sohae Satellite Launching Station that Kim promised to destroy, citing U.S. government officials in June.

The July 20 photo showed that work was underway to remove structures at the launch pad and the engine test stand. Another photo taken two days later shows further progress in removing the launch pad and the continued presence of a crane and vehicles thought to be used for dismantling structures.

The July 22 photo shows a visible progress made in the dismantlement.

This Sohae Satellite Launching Station had been used to test major long-range ballistic missiles and satellites.

The facility, completed in 2009, was first used to launch the Unha 3-rocket in April 2012. In February 2016, the North launched its Gwangmyeongsong-4 satellite at the site, a month after the fourth nuclear test, according to Hankyoreh.

The South Korean Presidential Office welcomed the North's dismantlement of its missile launch site on Tuesday.

"It's a good sign, better than doing nothing. They are taking it step by step toward denuclearization," said Nam Gwan-pyo, deputy director of the presidential office's National Security Office, according to Yonhap.

Nam added that it requires an analysis of the North's intention for conducting the dismantlement in a discreet manner. The North didn't turn it into a spectacle as they did with the Punggye-ri nuclear test site in May. It invited multinational foreign press corps to watch the demolition of the site. </s> FILE PHOTO: A North Korean long-range rocket is launched into the air at the Sohae rocket launch site, North Korea Thomson Reuters By Matt Spetalnick

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The missile engine test site that President Donald Trump said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had committed to destroy is a major facility in the western part of the country that has been used for testing engines for long-range missiles, according to a U.S. official.

Trump told reporters after their June 12 summit that Kim had pledged to dismantle one of his missile installations, which would be North Korea's most concrete concession at the landmark meeting in Singapore. But the president at the time did not name the site.

A U.S. official on Wednesday identified it as the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground, saying North Korea "has used this site to test liquid-propellant engines for its long-range ballistic missiles." Pyongyang has said its missiles can reach the United States.

"Chairman Kim promised that North Korea would destroy a missile engine test stand soon," the official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. There was no immediate word on the exact timetable, and North Korea has not publicly confirmed that Kim made such a commitment.

CBS News was the first to identify the site, which is the newest of North Korea's known major missile testing facilities.

Although Trump has hailed the Singapore summit as a success, skeptics have questioned whether he achieved anything, given that Pyongyang, which has rejected unilateral nuclear disarmament, appeared to make no new tangible commitments in a joint written declaration.

The U.S.-based North Korea monitoring group 38 North said in an analysis at the end of last week that there had been no sign of any activity toward dismantling Sohae or any other missile test site.

"The United States will continue to monitor this site closely as we move forward in our negotiations," the U.S. official said.

What little is known about the Sohae site, located in Tongchang-ri, has been pieced together from analysts' assessments and the North Korean state news agency KCNA.

It was reported to have been established in 2008 and has research facilities nearby for missile development as well as a tower that can support ballistic missiles. The site is mainly used to test large Paektusan engines built for long-range missiles such as the Hwasong-15.

Ahead of the summit, North Korea announced the suspension of its testing of intercontinental ballistic missiles and also closed its nuclear bomb test site. U.S. officials, however, have cautioned that such actions are reversible.

Asked on Wednesday whether North Korea has done anything toward denuclearization since the summit, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters: "No, I'm not aware of that. I mean, obviously, it's the very front end of a process. The detailed negotiations have not begun. I wouldn't expect that at this point." </s> The missile engine test site that President Donald Trump said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had committed to destroy is a major facility in the western part of the country that has been used for testing engines for long-range missiles, according to a U.S. official.

Trump told reporters after their June 12 summit that Kim had pledged to dismantle one of his missile installations, which would be North Korea’s most concrete concession at the landmark meeting in Singapore.

However, the president at the time did not name the site.

A U.S. official identified it Wednesday as the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground, saying North Korea “has used this site to test liquid-propellant engines for its long-range ballistic missiles.”

Pyongyang has said its missiles can reach the United States.

Chairman Kim promised that North Korea would destroy a missile engine test stand soon,” the official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

​There was no immediate word on the exact timetable, and North Korea has not publicly confirmed that Kim made such a commitment.

CBS News was the first to identify the site, which is the newest of North Korea’s known major missile testing facilities.

Although Trump has hailed the Singapore summit as a success, skeptics have questioned whether he achieved anything, given that Pyongyang, which has rejected unilateral nuclear disarmament, appeared to make no new tangible commitments in a joint written declaration.

The U.S.-based North Korea monitoring group 38 North said in an analysis at the end of last week there had been no sign of any activity toward dismantling Sohae or any other missile test site.

The U.S. official said: “The United States will continue to monitor this site closely as we move forward in our negotiations.”

What little is known about the Sohae site, located in Tongchang-ri, has been pieced together from analysts’ assessments and the North Korean state news agency KCNA.

It was reported to have been established in 2008 and has research facilities nearby for missile development as well as a tower that can support ballistic missiles. The site is mainly used to test large Paektusan engines built for long-range missiles such as the Hwasong-15.

North Korea has spent considerable effort and resources to develop the site as a “civilian space program” facility, denying that it has a military application, said Jenny Town, a research analyst at the 38 North.

“Presumably, if North Korea does destroy the Sohae facility, they are also signaling that they are willing to stop satellite/rocket launches this time around as well, a point that has derailed negotiations in the past and is a significant new development,” she said.

North Korea has other missile testing facilities but the shutdown, if it happens, would be significant, analysts said.

“The missile testing is not just done in Tongchang-ri so it does not necessarily mean all ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles) will be disabled. But the most well-known one is this, so there is a great symbolic meaning if this is shut down,” said Moon Hong-sik, a research fellow at the Institute for National Security Strategy in South Korea.

North Korea announced ahead of the Singapore summit the suspension of its ICBM testing and also closed its nuclear bomb test site. U.S. officials, however, have cautioned that such actions are reversible.

Asked on Wednesday whether North Korea has done anything toward denuclearization since the summit, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters: “No, I’m not aware of that. I mean, obviously, it’s the very front end of a process. The detailed negotiations have not begun. I wouldn’t expect that at this point.”

Yang Uk, senior research fellow at the Korea Defence and Security Forum, agreed that a shutdown of the Sohae testing site would be a symbolic gesture rather than a move to technically disable its missile capabilities.

“Sohae has technically been used as an ‘engine’ testing site. North Korea has already finished developing (the) Baekdu Engine, so there would be no problem running ICBM missile programs even if they close down the Sohae site,” Yang said.

The move will only be significant if North Korea takes more than cosmetic steps to fully shutter the site, not just the test stand, said Melissa Hanham, a senior research associate at the James martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies.

“It’s only a good deal if they dismantle all the facilities at Sohae and re-employ the scientists in something civilian,” she said. </s> US identifies North Korea missile test site it says Kim committed to destroy

WASHINGTON: The missile engine test site that President Donald Trump said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had committed to destroy is a major facility in the western part of the country that has been used for testing engines for long-range missiles, according to a US official.

Trump told reporters after their June 12 summit that Kim had pledged to dismantle one of his missile installations, which would be North Korea’s most concrete concession at the landmark meeting in Singapore. However, the president at the time did not name the site.

A US official identified it on Wednesday as the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground, saying North Korea “has used this site to test liquid-propellant engines for its long-range ballistic missiles.” Pyongyang has said its missiles can reach the United States.

“Chairman Kim promised that North Korea would destroy a missile engine test stand soon,” the official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. There was no immediate word on the exact timetable, and North Korea has not publicly confirmed that Kim made such a commitment.

CBS News was the first to identify the site, which is the newest of North Korea’s known major missile testing facilities.

Although Trump has hailed the Singapore summit as a success, skeptics have questioned whether he achieved anything, given that Pyongyang, which has rejected unilateral nuclear disarmament, appeared to make no new tangible commitments in a joint written declaration.

The U.S.-based North Korea monitoring group 38 North said in an analysis at the end of last week there had been no sign of any activity toward dismantling Sohae or any other missile test site.

The U.S. official said: “The United States will continue to monitor this site closely as we move forward in our negotiations.”

What little is known about the Sohae site, located in Tongchang-ri, has been pieced together

It was reported to have been established in 2008 and has research facilities nearby for missile development as well as a tower that can support ballistic missiles. The site is mainly used to test large Paektusan engines built for long-range missiles such as the Hwasong-15.

North Korea has other missile testing facilities but the shutdown, if it happens, would be significant, analysts said.

“The missile testing is not just done in Tongchang-ri so it does not necessarily mean all ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles) will be disabled. But the most well-known one is this, so there is a great symbolic meaning if this is shut down,” said Moon Hong-sik, a research fellow at the Institute for National Security Strategy in South Korea.

North Korea announced ahead of the Singapore summit the suspension of its ICBM testing and also closed its nuclear bomb test site. U.S. officials, however, have cautioned that such actions are reversible.

Asked on Wednesday whether North Korea has done anything toward denuclearization since the summit, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters: “No, I’m not aware of that. I mean, obviously, it’s the very front end of a process. The detailed negotiations have not begun. I wouldn’t expect that at this point.”

Yang Uk, senior research fellow at the Korea Defence and Security Forum, agreed that a shutdown of the Sohae testing site would be a symbolic gesture rather than a move to technically disable its missile capabilities.

“Sohae has technically been used as an ‘engine’ testing site. North Korea has already finished developing (the) Baekdu Engine, so there would be no problem running ICBM missile programs even if they close down the Sohae site,” Yang said.

“If North Korea comes up with a ‘big deal’, it would be something like getting one of the ICBMs out of the country to a third country, talk about the procedures for disassembling the missiles, or actually showing Pompeo to the missile facility and say to his face that they will get rid of it.” </s> SEOUL: North Korea has started dismantling some facilities at its main satellite launch station, seen as the testing ground for its intercontinental ballistic missiles, according to expert analysis of recent satellite images.If confirmed, the analysis by respected US-based website 38 North could signal a step forward after last month's landmark summit between Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump , although some experts questioned the significance of the gesture.After the summit, Trump had declared the North Korean nuclear threat was effectively over, and US media reports suggest he is privately furious at the lack of any subsequent progress on the denuclearisation issue.His public statements, however, remain upbeat and the 38 North analysis came as the president pronounced himself "very happy" with the way talks were progressing with Pyongyang.The website said imagery indicated the North had begun taking down a processing building and a rocket-engine test stand that had been used to test liquid-fuel engines at its Sohae Satellite Launching Station Sohae, on the northwest coast of North Korea, is ostensibly a facility designed for putting satellites into orbit, but rocket engines are easily repurposed for use in missiles and the international community has labelled Pyongyang's space programme a fig leaf for weapons tests.38 North analyst Joseph Bermudez called the move an "important first step" for Kim in fulfilling a promise that Trump said the North Korean leader made during their June summit in Singapore.Since Sohae is "believed to have played an important role in the development of technologies for the North's intercontinental ballistic missile program, these efforts represent a significant confidence-building measure on the part of North Korea," Bermudez said.Trump said in Singapore that Kim had committed to destroying a "major" missile engine test site, without specifying the site.Sohae has been the North's primary rocket launch site since 2012, and some experts cautioned against reading too much into the work described in the 38 North analysis.Melissa Hanham, senior research associate with the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Monterey, said that while dismantling the engine test site was a "good move", it amounted to "the bare minimum" that could be done at Sohae."Unless they dismantle the whole site, it will remain North Korea's premier location for space launches," Hanham said on Twitter."North Korea does not need the Sohae engine test stand anymore if it is confident in the engine design. As (Kim Jong Un) said himself, North Korea is moving from testing to mass production," she said, adding that observers should look for signs of new sites where more missiles could be built."We ignored North Korea too long, and now it's about managing how many nuclear weapons and delivery systems they have, not IF they have them," she said.A US defence official also downplayed the news, saying the Sohae site was not a priority in terms of monitoring the North's denuclearisation efforts."It's not on the radar, so to speak," the official said.In a sign of Washington's impatience with what it sees as North Korean heel-dragging on the denuclearisation issue, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was in New York last week urging UN member-states to keep tough economic sanctions in place to pressure Kim into moving forward.China and Russia have argued that North Korea should be rewarded with the prospect of eased sanctions for opening up dialogue with the United States and halting missile tests. </s> Deb Riechmann and Matthew Pennington, The Associated Press 

 



WASHINGTON - The Trump administration has identified the missile test engine site that it says North Korea has pledged to destroy.

After his summit with Kim Jong Un, U.S. President Donald Trump said the North Korean leader was "already destroying" a missile site, in addition to committing to "complete denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula.

An administration official revealed Thursday that the testing site in question is in North Pyongan province, and is sometimes is referred to as the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground.

The official was not authorized to discuss the issue publicly and spoke only on condition of anonymity.

The official would not answer questions about whether the site was already being destroyed, but said the administration would continue to monitor it as negotiations move forward. </s> North Korea has begun dismantling the facilities at its satellite launch station in Sohae, according to an analysis of commercial satellite imagery released on the 38 North website.

The Sohae location has been the main site for North Korean satellite launches since 2012. The testing facilities at the site are thought to play a role in the development of liquid-fuel engines that can also be used in North Korea’s ballistic missile programme.

If the analysis of the satellite imagery is accurate, North Korea may be taking a step toward the disarmament that was agreed upon by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump during a landmark meeting in Singapore on June 12.

After that summit, Trump said Kim had pledged to dismantle a missile site. US officials later confirmed that the site that the US president was referring to was Sohae. However, the lack of visible progress toward that pledge was one factor that soon served to undermine the agreements reached between Kim and Trump.

The images published by 38 North, a US-based website focused on North Korea that is affiliated with the Stimson Center in Washington, were taken by the commercial companies Digital Globe and Airbus Defence and Space on July 20 and July 22, respectively.

In one set of images, it appears that a rail-mounted processing building is being dismantled. This building is where space launch vehicles are assembled before they are moved to the launch pad, according to 38 North analyst Joseph Bermudez Jnr.

Separately, images show activity around a vertical engine test stand at Sohae. Bermudez notes that in the images from July 22, the test stand appears to have been “completely dismantled”, adding that “given the state of activity, work is likely to have begun sometime within the past two weeks.”

On Twitter, 38 North’s founder, Joel Wit, said the images suggested that North Korea may be willing to “give up its space launch programme.” Wit, a former State Department negotiator with North Korea and a consistent advocate for dialogue with Pyongyang, said such a move would be just one step in the right direction, “but an important one.”

Notably, the timeline of the satellite images suggests that North Korea may have begun dismantling the facilities at Sohae after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Pyongyang in early July in a bid to make progress on the agreement reached in Singapore.

However, the dismantlement of the facilities at Sohae appears to have taken place without outside experts there to verify it. The North Korean government has made a number of such unilateral moves since the start of the year, including the apparent destruction of the Punggye-ri nuclear test site in March. Analysts have cautioned that these steps need verification.

After a flurry of activity earlier in the year, there had been signs recently that ongoing denuclearisation talks between the United States and North Korea were going slower than anticipated. US intelligence officials said last month that Pyongyang was working to conceal key aspects of its nuclear programme.

reported last weekend that Trump, who had said last month that North Korea’s nuclear problem was “largely solved,” was now privately expressing concern about a lack of progress on the issue. On Monday, Trump tweeted that the story was “wrong” and that he was “very happy!” </s> WASHINGTON • The missile engine test site that United States President Donald Trump said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had committed to destroy is a major facility in the western part of the country that has been used for testing engines for long-range missiles, according to a US official.

Mr Trump told reporters after their June 12 summit that Mr Kim had pledged to dismantle one of his missile installations, which would be North Korea's most concrete concession at the landmark meeting in Singapore. But the President at the time did not name the site.

A US official identified it on Wednesday as the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground, saying North Korea "has used this site to test liquid-propellant engines for its long-range ballistic missiles". Pyongyang has said its missiles can reach the US.

"Chairman Kim promised that North Korea would destroy a missile engine test stand soon," the official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

There was no immediate word on the exact timetable, and North Korea has not publicly confirmed that Mr Kim made such a commitment.

CBS News was the first to identify the site, which is the newest of North Korea's known major missile testing facilities.

Although Mr Trump has hailed the Singapore summit as a success, sceptics have questioned whether he achieved anything, given that Pyongyang has rejected unilateral nuclear disarmament and appeared to make no new tangible commitments in a joint written declaration.

SYMBOLIC MEANING The missile testing is not just done in Tongchang-ri so it does not necessarily mean all ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles) will be disabled. But the most well-known one is this, so there is a great symbolic meaning if this is shut down. MR MOON HONG-SIK, a research fellow at the Institute for National Security Strategy in South Korea.

US-based North Korea monitoring group 38 North said in an analysis at the end of last week that there had been no sign of any activity towards dismantling Sohae or any other missile test site.

The US official said: "The United States will continue to monitor this site closely as we move forward in our negotiations."

What little is known about the Sohae site, located in Tongchang-ri, has been pieced together from analysts'assessments and North Korean state news agency KCNA's reports.

It was reported to have been established in 2008 and has research facilities nearby for missile development as well as a tower that can support ballistic missiles. The site is mainly used to test large Paektusan engines built for long-range missiles such as the Hwasong-15.

North Korea has spent considerable effort and resources to develop the site as a "civilian space programme" facility, denying that it has a military application, said Ms Jenny Town, a research analyst at 38 North. "Presumably, if North Korea does destroy the Sohae facility, they are also signalling that they are willing to stop satellite or rocket launches this time around as well, a point that has derailed negotiations in the past and is a significant new development," she said.

North Korea has other missile testing facilities but the shutdown, if it happens, would be significant, analysts said.

"The missile testing is not just done in Tongchang-ri so it does not necessarily mean all ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles) will be disabled. But the most well-known one is this, so there is a great symbolic meaning if this is shut down," said Mr Moon Hong-sik, a research fellow at the Institute for National Security Strategy in South Korea.

North Korea announced ahead of the Singapore summit the suspension of its ICBM testing and also closed its nuclear bomb test site. US officials, however, have cautioned that such actions are reversible.

Asked on Wednesday whether North Korea has done anything towards denuclearisation since the summit, US Defence Secretary James Mattis said the denuclearisation pledge was the "very front end of a process".

"The detailed negotiations have not begun. I wouldn't expect that at this point."

REUTERS

SEE OPINION </s> North Korea has begun dismantling key facilities at an important rocket launching site on the northwest coast of the country, a U.S. monitor said Monday, based on its analysis of satellite images.

The July 20 images showed work at the Sohae Satellite Launching Station to dismantle a building used to assemble space-launch vehicles and a nearby rocket engine test stand used to develop liquid-fuel engines for ballistic missiles and space-launch vehicles, the 38 North think tank said.

The images suggest that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was complying with his pledge made to President Donald Trump during a historic summit in Singapore last month.

"Since these facilities are believed to have played an important role in the development of technologies for the North's intercontinental ballistic missile program, these efforts represent a significant confidence-building measure on the part of North Korea," Washington-based 38 North said.

Trump told reporters after the June 12 summit that Kim had promised to destroy a key engine test site very soon. But he did not identify the site. Reuters news agency later reported it had found out the site was Sohae.

The think tank's report comes amid suspicions that North Korea may not keep its promise of "complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."

Jenny Town, managing editor of 38 North, said the dismantling job at Sohae satellite launching station could be an important move to keep negotiations going.

"This could (and that's a big could) mean that North Korea is also willing to forgo satellite launches for the time being, as well as nuclear and missile tests. This distinction has derailed diplomacy in the past," she said.

In a tweet early on Monday, Trump rejected a report that he was angry at the slow progress in relations with North Korea.

"Wrong, very happy!" he said. "A Rocket has not been launched by North Korea in 9 months. Likewise, no nuclear tests. Japan is happy, all of Asia is happy," he added.
The United States announces that North Korea will destroy the Sohae Satellite Launching Station missile test site.