North Korea is reportedly preparing its Punggye-ri nuclear test site for international inspectors.

The development was reported by South Korea's Yonhap news agency, citing the country's spy agency.

In May, Sky's Tom Cheshire was the only British broadcaster invited to witness the apparent demolition of the facility, although no inspectors were present.

He watched a series of explosions with North Korea state media claiming the site had been completely dismantled in the blasts "to ensure the transparency of discontinuance of nuclear test".

At the time, the deputy director of the North Korea Nuclear Weapons Institute told Sky News that the destruction of the facility had been "conducted with high levels of transparency" in a bid to bring "peace and stability" to the Korean peninsula and the world.

The unnamed official added: "The discontinuance of nuclear tests is an important process in moving towards global nuclear disarmament and we will continue to join hands with all peace-loving people in building a peaceful world, a new independent world where the dreams and ideals of humanity are realised."

The Punggye-ri facility was used for several nuclear weapons tests, including a suspected hydrogen bomb in September 2017.

Following a summit between North and South Korea in September Pyongyang agreed to allow international inspectors to observe a "permanent dismantlement" of its other key missile facilities, and would take additional steps such as closing its main Yongbyon nuclear complex, but only if the United States took "reciprocal measures".

South Korean president Moon Jae-in said he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had agreed that the Korean Peninsula should turn into a "land of peace without nuclear weapons and nuclear threats". </s> North Korea is preparing to allow international inspectors into its Punggye-ri test site, the Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday, citing a South Korean politician.

Pyongyang has stopped its nuclear and missile tests over the past year during a rapprochement with the United States and South Korea, and it blew up facilities at Punggye-ri in May in the presence of foreign journalists.

However, its refusal to allow international experts to observe the destruction of the site, which has been the staging ground for all six of its nuclear tests, including its most powerful one – reportedly of an H-bomb – last September, drew criticism that its actions were for show and could be reversed.

At a summit between the North and South’s leaders last month, Pyongyang finally agreed to allow foreign inspectors to observe a “permanent dismantlement” of key missile facilities, and to move towards closing its main Yongbyon nuclear complex in return for reciprocal US measures.

News of the apparent latest gesture came from Kim Min-ki, a member of the ruling Democratic Party, who told reporters in Seoul that intelligence officials had observed what they believed to be preparations for possible inspections at Punggye-ri and the Sohae Satellite launching ground. </s> North Korea is preparing its Punggye-ri nuclear test site for international inspectors, the Yonhap news agency says, citing South Korea's spy agency.

While North Korea has stopped nuclear and missile tests in the past year, it did not allow international inspections of its dismantling of Punggye-ri in May, drawing criticism that the action was merely for show and could be reversed.

North Korea agreed to allow international inspectors to observe a "permanent dismantlement" of key missile facilities, and take further steps, such as closing its main Yongbyon nuclear complex, in return for reciprocal measures by the United States, the South's President Moon Jae-in has said.

His September comments followed a summit with the North's Kim Jong-un. </s> North Korea is preparing its Punggye-ri nuclear test site for international inspectors, the Yonhap news agency said on Wednesday, citing South Korea's spy agency.

SEOUL: North Korea is preparing its Punggye-ri nuclear test site for international inspectors, the Yonhap news agency said on Wednesday, citing South Korea's spy agency.

While North Korea has stopped nuclear and missile tests in the past year, it did not allow international inspections of its dismantling of Punggye-ri in May, drawing criticism that the action was merely for show and could be reversed.

North Korea agreed to allow international inspectors to observe a "permanent dismantlement" of key missile facilities, and take further steps, such as closing its main Yongbyon nuclear complex, in return for reciprocal measures by the United States, the South’s President Moon Jae-in has said.

His September comments followed a summit with the North's Kim Jong Un. </s> North Korea is preparing to allow international inspectors into its Punggye-ri test site, the Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday, citing a South Korean politician.

Pyongyang has stopped its nuclear and missile tests over the past year during a rapprochement with the United States and South Korea, and it blew up facilities at Punggye-ri in May in the presence of foreign journalists.

However, its refusal to allow international experts to observe the destruction of the site, which has been the staging ground for all six of its nuclear tests, including its most powerful one – reportedly of an H-bomb – last September, drew criticism that its actions were for show and could be reversed.

At a summit between the North and South’s leaders last month, Pyongyang finally agreed to allow foreign inspectors to observe a “permanent dismantlement” of key missile facilities, and to move towards closing its main Yongbyon nuclear complex in return for reciprocal US measures.

News of the apparent latest gesture came from Kim Min-ki, a member of the ruling Democratic Party, who told reporters in Seoul that intelligence officials had observed what they believed to be preparations for possible inspections at Punggye-ri and the Sohae Satellite launching ground.

The South’s National Intelligence Service observed North Koreans “conducting preparation and intelligence activities that seemed to be in preparation for foreign inspectors’ visit,” said Mr Kim, according to Reuters. No major movements were spotted at Yongbyon.

The move to open up Punggye-ri to inspection, if confirmed, would be seen as a confidence-building measure ahead of a proposed second meeting between Kim Jong-un, North Korea’s leader, and Donald Trump, the US president.

The meeting is expected to take place early next year despite concerns in Washington that North Korea is dragging its feet over nuclear disarmament and frustration in Pyongyang that the US has not agreed to ease economic sanctions or an official end to the Korean War of 1950-53.

Washington has repeatedly reminded its regional allies of the need to maintain “maximum pressure” on the North Korean regime to give up its nuclear weapons – a policy that appears to be increasingly at odds with a push from South Korean President Moon Jae-in towards closer economic ties.

The US embassy in Seoul reportedly made the unusual move of contacting major South Korean conglomerates that sent representatives to Pyongyang with President Moon for his September summit with Kim Jong-un.

“The U.S. Embassy in Seoul is known to have directly called key companies to discern the status of the cooperation projects discussed during their visit to the North,” a key official from the presidential Blue House told the JoongAng Ilbo on Tuesday.

Executives from Samsung, Hyundai Motor, LG and SK were among 17 business representatives who accompanied President Moon on his three-day trip.

North Korea is likely to depend on South Korean investment for its future economic development. “It appears that the U.S. government, along with the objective of grasping the situation in regard to North Korea-related projects, is attempting to synchronise the speed between the South and the United States ahead of North-U.S. denuclearisation negotiations,” said the source.

Teleconferences in late September between the US Treasury Department and seven South Korean banks over sanctions enforcement were also viewed as a sign that Washington is nervous that inter-Korean relations appears to be advancing faster than denuclearisation talks. </s> International experts will be allowed into the dismantled Punggye-ri site, according to reports in South Korea

This article is more than 10 months old

This article is more than 10 months old

North Korea is preparing its Punggye-ri nuclear test site for international inspectors, according to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, the first time foreign experts would be allowed to inspect facilities since a thaw in tensions this year.

Intelligence officials had observed what they believed to be preparations for possible inspections at Punggye-ri nuclear test site and the Sohae Satellite launching ground, Kim Min-ki of the ruling Democratic Party told reporters, according to Yonhap news agency.

The South’s national intelligence service observed North Koreans “conducting preparation and intelligence activities that seem to be in preparation for [a] foreign inspectors’ visit”, the politician added.

The site was officially closed in May, when North Korea invited a handful of international journalists to observe as the tunnels where previous nuclear tests were conducted were sealed with explosions. Experts at the time said the move was mostly symbolic, and radiation monitoring equipment brought by reporters was confiscated by North Korea officials.

South Korean leader calls for train route to North Korea by end of year Read more

No major movements were seen at Yongbyon, the North’s main nuclear complex.

The revelations came during a routine parliamentary audit of government agencies, and also revealed North Korea has continued to deploy hackers in an effort to earn foreign currency.

While North Korea has stopped nuclear and missile tests in the past year, it has not allowed international inspections drawing widespread criticism.

North Korea agreed to allow international inspectors to observe a “permanent dismantlement” of key missile facilities, and take further steps, such as closing its main Yongbyon nuclear complex, in return for reciprocal measures by the United States, the South’s president Moon Jae-in said in September. Neither North Korea nor Moon has detailed what Pyongyang is seeking in return.

His comments followed a summit where the North’s leader, Kim Jong-un, also pledged to close Sohae and allow experts to observe the dismantling of the missile engine testing site and a launch pad.

American officials have been skeptical of Kim’s commitment to giving up nuclear weapons, but the North’s pledge at the summit with the South drew an enthusiastic response from President Donald Trump. </s> North Korea is preparing its Punggye-ri nuclear test site for international inspectors, Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday, citing South Korea's spy agency.

While North Korea has stopped nuclear and missile tests in the past year, it did not allow international inspections of its dismantling of Punggye-ri in May, prompting criticism that its actions were merely for show and could be reversed.

North Korea agreed to allow international inspectors to observe a "permanent dismantlement" of key missile facilities, in return for reciprocal measures by the United States, the South's President Moon Jae-in said in September.

The country also promised further steps, including the closure of its main Yongbyon nuclear complex, Moon said following his summit with the North's Kim Jong Un.

Kim vowed to work towards denuclearisation during his unprecedented June summit with US President Donald Trump.

But Pyongyang's actions have fallen short of US demands for irreversible steps to scrap its arsenal, including a full disclosure of nuclear facilities and materials.

Effective on Thursday, a "no-fly" zone between North and South Korea will extend 40km north and south from the Military Demarcation Line in the east and 20km in the west for fixed-wing aircraft.

The agreement also bars live-fire drills involving fixed-wing aircraft and air-to-ground guided weapons in the no-fly area. South Korea and the US had held such drills regularly until halting joint exercises in June.

The military accord, sealed during last month's summit in Pyongyang, is one of the most concrete agreements between the two Asian neighbours this year.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed "discontent" with the agreement during a phone call with his counterpart earlier this month. </s> • North Korea's primary nuclear test site remains "fully operational" and could be used for further testing in the future, according to a report released Monday.
• Monday's report comes after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made the announcement on April 20 that his regime would cease its nuclear and long-range missile tests and close the mountainous Punggye-ri nuclear test site, where the regime has conducted all six of its nuclear tests.
• Some experts have suggested that another test at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site could totally destroy it and potentially even cause a mountain to collapse.

North Korea's primary nuclear test site remains "fully operational" and could be used for further testing in the future, 38 North, a watchdog dedicated to analyzing the rogue state, warned Monday.

"North Korea’s Punggye-ri nuclear test site, where North Korea has conducted six acknowledged underground detonations is still, as far as we can tell, fully operational," 38 North reported.

Following North Korea's sixth nuclear test in September, commercial satellite imagery reportedly revealed significant tunneling in one area of the site up until early March. This activity appeared to slow down toward the end of March, but did not stop entirely into early April. According to 38 North, this suggests "that either the tunnel was complete and ready for future renewed testing or that the slowdown simply mirrored the ongoing political changes underway."

With that said, some experts have suggested another test at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site could totally destroy it and potentially even cause a mountain to collapse.

Monday's report comes after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made the announcement on April 20 that his regime would cease its nuclear and long-range missile tests and close the mountainous Punggye-ri nuclear test site, where it has conducted all six of its nuclear tests.

"From April 21, North Korea will stop nuclear tests and launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles," the Korean Central News Agency said, according to the Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency. "The North will shut down a nuclear test site in the country's northern side to prove the vow to suspend nuclear test."

Kim's announcement was met with applause by President Donald Trump, who took to Twitter on Friday and described the move as "Progress being made for all!"

Trump is set to meet with Kim to discuss the rogue state's nuclear program in the near future, though on Sunday he tweeted, "We are a long way from conclusion on North Korea, maybe things will work out, and maybe they won't - only time will tell....But the work I am doing now should have been done a long time ago!" In a separate tweet on Sunday, Trump incorrectly claimed Kim's regime had "agreed to denuclearization" — North Korea has not indicated it will give up its existing nuclear weapons.

North Korea conducted a slew of long-range missile tests last year as part of its larger ambitions to develop a nuclear weapon capable of reaching the mainland US. This generated outrage across the international community and resulted in harsh economic sanctions being leveled against Pyongyang. But the tide began to shift in early 2018 as North and South Korea, historic enemies, renewed dialogue for the first time in roughly two years. This has also led to a cautious warming of relations between Pyongyang and Washington. </s> North Korea appears to be preparing for possible visits by external inspectors to verify that it has shut down its nuclear test site, South Korea’s intelligence agency said on Wednesday. Ruling party lawmaker Kim Min-ki shared the development with reporters after a closed-door audit session by the National Intelligence Service with parliamentarians, reported Yonhap.

“Signs have been detected that North Korea is doing some preparations and intelligence-related activity over a possible visit by outside experts, as it shut down the nuclear test site and demolished some of the missile launching facilities at Dongchang-ri,” the agency told the lawmakers, according to Kim Min-ki.

The agency also said that North Korea continued to engage in hacking attacks to steal information and money, and breaking into email accounts.

Earlier this month, United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had said that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had agreed to give international inspectors access to the country’s nuclear and missile testing sites. Pompeo had said that the inspectors would visit a missile engine test facility and the Punggye-ri nuclear testing site as soon as the logistics are worked out.

In May, North Korea said it had dismantled its nuclear bomb test site in Punggye-ri as a goodwill gesture before a meeting with US President Donald Trump. During his meeting with Trump in Singapore, Kim promised to work towards denuclearising the Korean peninsula. Both leaders had signed a joint statement in which the US agreed to establish diplomatic relations. </s> PUNGGYE-RI, North Korea — North Korea carried out what it said is the demolition of its nuclear test site Thursday, setting off a series of explosions over several hours in the presence of foreign journalists.

The explosions at the nuclear test site deep in the mountains of the North’s sparsely populated northeast were centered on three tunnels at the underground site and a number of buildings in the surrounding area.

The planned closing was previously announced by leader Kim Jong Un ahead of his planned summit with U.S. President Donald Trump that is scheduled to take place next month.

The demolition came as the North lobbed another verbal salvo at Washington, calling Vice President Mike Pence a “political dummy” and saying it is just as ready to meet in a nuclear confrontation as at the negotiating table.

The North’s decision to close the Punggye-ri nuclear test site has generally been seen as a welcome gesture by Kim to set a positive tone ahead of the summit.

Even so, it is not an irreversible move and would need to be followed by many more significant measures to meet Trump’s demands for real denuclearization.

By bringing in a small group of television journalists and other members of the news media, the North is likely hoping to have dramatic images of the closing — including explosions to collapse tunnel entrances — broadcast around the world.

The North did not invite international nuclear weapons inspectors to the ceremony.

The first blast visiting journalists witnessed happened about 11 a.m. local time. North Korean officials said it collapsed the north tunnel, which was used for five nuclear tests from 2009 to last year.

Two other explosions about 2:20 p.m. and 4 p.m. demolished the west and south tunnels, according to officials.

Thursday’s demolition also involved the destruction of observation posts and barracks used by guards and other workers at the facility.

Another tunnel on the eastern side of the facility was shut down after an initial nuclear test in 2006.

The journalists who were allowed to witness the demolition arrived in the morning and stayed at the site for about nine hours.

Getting to the remote site required an 11-hour overnight train journey from Wonsan, a port city east of the capital, Pyongyang.

The outburst at Pence, issued in the name of a top Foreign Ministry official, comes on the heels of another sharp rebuke of Trump’s newly appointed national security adviser, John Bolton, and has raised concerns that a major gap has opened between the sides just weeks before the June 12 summit in Singapore.

In both cases, Pyongyang was trying to push back against hard-line comments suggesting North Korea might end up like Libya if it doesn’t move forward quickly and irreversibly with concrete measures to get rid of its nuclear weapons.

Choe Son Hui, a vice minister of foreign affairs, was quoted Thursday by the North’s state-run news agency slamming as “ignorant” and “stupid” comments Pence made in an interview with Fox News that compared the nuclear-capable North to Libya.

Libya gave up its program at an early stage only to see its longtime dictator overthrown and brutally killed years later.

The summit plan has hit a number of speed bumps recently as both sides have begun trading barbs and taking tougher positions.

Trump met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday at the White House for consultations and suggested the summit could be delayed or even called off entirely.

Even so, both sides still seem to want to hold the meeting, which would be unprecedented.

Success in talks would be a huge accomplishment for Trump. Meeting with the U.S. president as an equal on the world stage would be a major coup for Kim.
North Korea is set to allow inspections of its Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site, which officially closed in May 2018.