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North Korea Dismantles Nuclear Site Amid Doubts over Summit

  • North Korea's Punggye-ri nuclear test facility is shown in this DigitalGlobe satellite image in North Hamgyong Province, North Korea, May 23, 2018.

    North Korea's Punggye-ri nuclear test facility is shown in this DigitalGlobe satellite image in North Hamgyong Province, North Korea, May 23, 2018. | Photo: Reuters

Published 24 May 2018
Opinion

North Korea followed through on a pledge to blow up tunnels at its nuclear test site, as part of steps that have reduced tension on the Korean peninsula.

North Korea has completely dismantled its Punggye-ri nuclear test ground "to ensure the transparency of discontinuance of nuclear test," state news agency KCNA said Thursday.

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The dismantling of the nuclear test ground "completely closed the tunnel entrances," it said, adding that two tunnels there had been ready for use in "powerful underground nuclear tests".

There was no leakage of radioactive material or adverse impact on the surrounding environment from the dismantling, the agency added. "The discontinuance of the nuclear test is an important process moving towards global nuclear disarmament," KCNA said.

North Korea followed through on a pledge to blow up tunnels at its nuclear test site, as part of steps that have reduced tension on the Korean peninsula and raised the possibility of a summit with the United States.

North Korea has conducted all six of its nuclear tests at the Punggye-ri site, which consists of tunnels dug beneath Mount Mantap in the northeast of the country.

A small group of international media selected by North Korea was on hand to witness the demolition, which Pyongyang says is proof of its commitment to end nuclear testing.

The destruction of the site began at about 11 a.m. with the blowing up and collapsing of a tunnel and an observation post.

The North Korean offer to scrap the test site has been seen as a major move in months of easing tension between it, on the one hand, and South Korea and the United States on the other.

North Korea announced in April it would suspend nuclear and missile tests and scrap the test site, and instead pursue economic growth and peace.

But the progress appears to have suffered a setback this month with North Korea raising doubts about an unprecedented June 12 summit in Singapore between its leader, Kim Jong Un, and U.S. President Donald Trump.

The North objects to U.S. demands that it unilaterally give up its arsenal of nuclear bombs and ballistic missiles.

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