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'NK is excavating new tunnel at nuclear site'
By Jun Ji-hye
By Jun Ji-hye
North Korea is believed to be excavating a new tunnel at its nuclear test site located in Punggye-ri, according to a U.S. research center that specializes in North Korea affairs, Wednesday.
The conclusions reached by the center’s analysis have prompted speculation that Pyongyang is preparing for a forth nuclear test.
Citing satellite imagery taken from October to November, 38 North have said that Pyongyang is excavating a new tunnel in a new area of the site in addition to the three others where the repressive state has either conducted nuclear tests or excavated tunnels in the past.
“While there are no indications that a nuclear test is imminent, the new tunnel adds to North Korea’s ability to conduct additional detonations at Punggye-ri in the coming years if it chooses to do so,” said the institute.
It added that it would take quite a while for the North to complete excavation of the new tunnel.
The website 38 North is run by the U.S.-Korea Institute at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.
The isolated state has so far carried out three nuclear tests in 2006, 2009 and 2013 at the Punggye-ri site.
On Oct. 20, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) told lawmakers during a parliamentary audit that the North appears to have prepared for a fourth nuclear test, although the spy agency said one is not imminent.
Fears also grew ahead of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the North’s ruling Workers’ Party that fell on Oct. 10 that Pyongyang could conduct a nuclear test or launch a long-range missile to show off its military capability while the attention of the world’s media was on the event. But no such provocations took place.
The most recent provocation from the isolated state was the test-firing of a ballistic missile from a submarine, Saturday, with officials here saying that this apparently failed.
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