Further evidence has emerged that important work in the North Korean nuclear test site closed Punggye-ri, as the country continues its work to renovate the facility that will allow it to test the seventh atom.
A satellite image taken earlier this week showed the construction of new buildings, the movement of timber and the rise of machinery and equipment immediately outside the new gate of Tunnel No. 3, indicating that construction work may take place within Tunnel No. 3 and out. in the surrounding areas.
The Punggye-ri area was closed in 2018 - a series of protests - after leader Kim Jong Un announced an independent suspension of nuclear missile tests and long-distance ammunition during nuclear disarmament talks with the US In January, Kim successfully signed his state. he is no longer bound by that suspension order.
Eight new buildings, including small buildings and sheds, have been erected near the No. 3 building, with black objects seen near the portal that may be mining equipment and related items, according to a North Korean website analysis. 38 North of the satellite image taken Tuesday.
Photo taken Monday and reviewed by Beyond Parallel, a North Korean monitoring project run by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, has reached a similar conclusion.
The group said workers were also seen playing volleyball in the courtyard of the main administrative and support area, as happened in the past, covering the entire year 2017, when the North last tested a nuclear bomb on the site.
The area is home to four tunnels, two of which - Tunnels 1 and 2, where the North conducted its previous nuclear tests - could be difficult to recover immediately, analysts say. Lines 3 and 4, however, may appear useful after the repair work.
After the site was heavily blown up in 2018 due to a crowd of carefully selected journalists, some experts suspect that the closure of the facility was a major impact and was actually easily reversed. They said the test could start again after weeks or months of repair work.
