N. Korea's nuclear test site still operational, claims 38 North
Seoul, May 1 (IBNS): Contrary to claims made earlier that North Korea's nuclear test site has been damaged beyond repair, a U.S. website monitoring the Asian country said the site appears to be operational, media reports said.
According to 38 North, the test grounds in North Korea's Punggye-ri could support further underground nuclear testing.
"Newly acquired synthetic aperture radar data of the Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site provides additional evidence that the two mountainous areas accessible by the South and West Portals remain viable, and could support future underground nuclear testing if there were to be a political decision to do so," read the 38 North website.
"The data also corroborates Kim Jong Un’s publicly reported statement that two tunnels of the site remain in good condition. In short, while Chinese seismological findings that the Mt. Mantap portion of the nuclear test site may no longer suitable for tests due to significant damage and deformation appear correct, claims that the entire site 'is wrecked beyond repair' are wrong," it said.
The claims were made at a time when North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has agreed to meet US President Donald Trump at the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, media reports said.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in has convinced North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to hold his upcoming meeting with US President Donald Trump at the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, a source tells CNN.
Moon and Kim met at the same spot last week.
The meeting between the two Korean leaders grabbed worldwide attention.
The meeting between the two leaders of Korean countries led to an agreement to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula and formally end the Korean War.
The venue makes the most sense logistically for Kim, the source told CNN, because media facilities and equipment are already in place, which could the allow the summit to take place "in late May."
The idea of meeting at the DMZ wasn't a complete surprise to aides, since Trump has been talking about it all weekend and raised it in his Sunday phone call with Moon, a senior US official and a person familiar with the conversations told CNN.
Trump told reporters on Monday that he was enthusiastic about the idea of holding the summit in the DMZ.
"There's something I like about it, because you're there, if things work out, there's a great celebration to be had on the site, not in a third party country," he was quoted as saying by CNN.
Relationship between US and North Korea was bitter earlier this year with both Kim and Trump exchanging barbs after the Asian nation carried out several missile tests in 2017.
2017 witnessed US President Donald Trump slamming North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as the Asian nation continued to conduct several of its missile tests, teasing world peace and tranquillity and often threatening to trigger a war.
Situation became far tensed when North Korea tested an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) that the nation said was capable of striking US mainland.
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