美38노스• CSIS "北동창리 발사장 복구 징후"…의도는 불투명
Recent satellite images show North Korea re-assembled parts of its major missile-launch site.
This comes just days after the Kim-Trump summit in Vietnam that fell apart.
Park Hee-jun provides a closer look. New data suggests that North Korea could be rebuilding its key missile-launch site.
According to North Korea-monitoring website 38 North on Tuesday,... North Korea is renovating structures at its Sohae Satellite Launching Station in Dongchang-ri-- a site previously used to test missile engines for its ICBMs.
The North began dismantling parts of the site last year,... around the time when nuclear talks with the U.S. began.
No further movements have been made since August.
Recent satellite imagery, however, shows that new work took place between February 16th and March 2nd.
Two cranes have been added to the site.
The rail-mounted transfer building has also been rebuilt with new walls and a roof.
And materials that have been seen stacked next to the building a few months ago,... have apparently been removed.
The same data was analyzed by the CSIS,... who assessed that the developments are "deliberate and purposeful."
The report claims the regime is rapidly rebuilding the rocket site,... adding that the renewed activity "may indicate North Korean plans to demonstrate resolve" following the collapsed summit in Hanoi.
The previous day at the National Assembly,... South Korea's National Intelligence Service said the site showed signs of restoration work ahead of the summit.
NIS Director Suh Hoon highlighted that the North may have intended to maximize the effect of the site's destruction,... if they got the desired outcome from the summit.
Or they may be considering launching long-range missiles at the site again,... should the denuclearization talks fail.
Park Hee-jun, Arirang News.
