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North Korea dismantles key missile facilities

Hot Issues of the Week2018-07-29

ⓒ KBS News

North Korea appears to have dismantled another intercontinental ballistic missile assembly facility. 

The Voice of America on Wednesday revealed Planet Labs' satellite imagery of an auto factory complex in Pyongsong, South Pyongan Province from five days ago, which shows the missile factory has been removed. 

The facility existed up until about the end of last month. 

This comes after previous satellite images from last week showed facilities being dismantled at the North' main Sohae Satellite Launching Station.


"New images just today show that North Korea has begun the process of dismantling a key missile site and we appreciate that. We had a fantastic meeting with Chairman Kim, and it seems to be going very well." 

During a speech at a Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Missouri, U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed the move while State Secretary Mike Pompeo called for inspectors to be sent to the North.


"We've been pressing for there to be inspectors on the ground when that engine test facility is dismantled, consistent with Chairman Kim's commitment."

Pyongyang, however, is now signaling that the ball is in Washington's court. The regime's state-run newspaper the Rodong Sinmun argued Wednesday that the two Koreas agreed on ending the Korean War at the inter-Korean summit in April, an accord which the U.S. endorsed. 

Other North Korean state propaganda outlets also argued that if the U.S. avoids the task of ending the war on the Korean Peninsula, it could ruin recent developments. 

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