North Korea rebuilding Sohae rocket launch site

Washington: New satellite images of North Korea suggest it is restoring a rocket launch site it had pledged to dismantle, analysts said. The images were taken two days after talks between US President Donald Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong-un ended on February 28, without reaching a deal on denuclearisation. The Tongchang-ri site has been used for satellite launches and engine testing, never for ballistic missile launches, the BBC reported.

Work to dismantle it began in 2018 but stopped as the US talks stalled. The pledge to dismantle it had been seen as a confidence-building measure between Pyongyang and Washington. The US on Tuesday warned North Korea could face yet more sanctions should Pyongyang not take steps to denuclearise.

In an interview with FOX Business Network, US National Security Adviser John Bolton said Washington would see whether the Pyongyang was still serious about the negotiations and was committed. “If they’re not willing to do it... they’re not going to get relief from the crushing economic sanctions that have been imposed on them and we’ll look at ramping those sanctions up in fact,” Xinhua quoted Bolton as saying. Sohae has been North Korea’s main satellite launch facility since 2012. It has also been used for testing engines for missiles capable of reaching the US. However, it has never been used for testing the ballistic missiles that are considered so provocative. (IANS)

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