No sign of imminent nuclear test by Pyongyang: US institute

August 31, 2017

WASHINGTON- Commercial satellite imagery of North Korea's Punggye-ri nuclear test site does not support media reports on intelligence-sourced claims that another underground nuclear test by the country is imminent, a US research institute said Wednesday.

At the same time, Pyongyang has continued to maintain the site at "a high state of readiness" so that it could conduct a test on short notice, whenever the political decision is made to proceed with another test, according to the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies.

South Korea's National Intelligence Service earlier said two tunnels at the site in northeastern North Korea have been maintained in a state where preparations for new testing are complete.

Concerns are growing that the reclusive state may conduct another nuclear test or ballistic missile launch in time with the day of its foundation on Sept. 9.

The commercial satellite imagery of the nuclear test site from Sunday showed that a new building located in the administrative support area now appears externally complete with roof shingles put in place, the U.S. institute said.

The imagery also showed that a few new pieces of small unidentified equipment had been placed near the mine cart tracks outside of a tunnel in the western area of the site. This might explain the report that the tunnel was being prepared for additional construction work, according to the institute.

A small object that could be a mine cart was moved to near a tunnel in the northern area of the site, but nothing else of significance was observed. Jiji Press