Images show slowdown in tunneling at N. Korea nuke test site

March 24, 2018

Washington- Recent satellite images have suggested a significant slowdown in tunneling and a reduced presence of related personnel at North Korea's Punggye-ri nuclear test site, a US research institute said Friday.

The images were taken on March 17, after a planned summit between Seoul and Pyongyang in late April and a possible summit between Pyongyang and Washington by the end of May were announced on March 6 and 8, respectively.

"This is an important development given efforts to establish high-level meetings between the United States, South Korea and North Korea," said the 38 North website, run by the US-Korea Institute of Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

But the website said, "Whether this is just a temporary development or whether it will continue over time is unclear."

According to the website, satellite images captured on March 2 showed signs of continued tunneling excavations at the western portal, including mining carts and new spoil deposits. But the March 17 images showed no evidence of tunneling operations. Jiji Press