US detects activity at N.Korea missile factory: report
July 31, 2018
Photographs from US spy satellites suggest North Korea is building new missiles, reports say. Activity was detected at the same factory responsible for the country's first ballistic missiles capable of reaching the US.
Image: Reuters/Planet Labs Inc.
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US intelligence agencies have satellite photographs that suggest North Korea has resumed building missiles at one of its factory sites, media reported Monday.
The reports come amid military talks between North and South Korea to curb tensions, and just weeks after a high-stakes meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Images from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency appear to show ongoing work on one or two new liquid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), the Washington Post reported.
Vehicles were photographed moving in and out of the North's research facility at Sanumdong, a senior official told Reuters.
A covered trailer photographed entering the site appears to be identical to vehicles previously used by the North to transport ICBMs.
The pictures do not show how advanced the reported missile construction might be.
ICBM threat and North Korea's overall military strength
For years, the international community downplayed the threat of North Korea's military power. With the test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, it is clear that Pyongyang's military capabilities are growing.
Image: Gettty Images/AFP/E. Jones
Major achievement
In early June 2017, North Korea test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time. Testing an ICBM marked a major military achievement for Pyongyang and a serious escalation of tensions with the United States and its allies in the region, particularly South Korea and Japan.
Image: Reuters/KCNA
Trouble with warheads
At the time, defense experts said the ICBM could reach as far as the US states of Alaska and Hawaii. However, it was unclear if North Korea can field an ICBM capable of carrying a nuclear warhead on its cone that could survive reentry into the Earth's atmosphere. North Korean state media claimed the ICBM was capable of carrying a "large, heavy nuclear warhead" to any part of the United States.
Image: Reuters/KCNA
Pyongyang's nuclear tests - six times and counting
The ICBM is believed to be a step forward in the North's nuclear program. Despite pressure from the international community, Pyongyang has made no secret of its nuclear ambitions. Alongside its ritual ballistic missile tests, North Korea has conducted nuclear tests on at least six occasions, including one in September 2017.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/KCNA
US running out of patience?
Responding to the first ICBM test with a show of force, the US and South Korean troops on conducted "deep strike" precision missile drills using Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and the Republic of Korea's Hyunmoo Missile II. In April, the US sent its Carl Vinson aircraft carrier towards the Korean Peninsula, saying it was taking prudent measures against the North.
Image: picture-alliance/Zumapress/M. Brown
Testing the boundaries
Ignoring international condemnation, Pyongyang test-launched another rocket on July 28, 2017, just weeks after its first ICBM test. In both of the tests, North Korea used Hwasong-14 missile, but the second one reached a higher altitude and traveled a larger distance than the first one, according to the state media.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/KCNA
Whole of US within range?
Pyongyang conducted its third test November 29, using a newly developed Hwasong-15 missile. US, Japanese and South Korean officials said it rose to about 4,500 km (2,800 miles) and flew 960 kilometers (600 miles) over about 50 minutes before landing in Japan's exclusive economic zone off the country's coast.
Image: picture-alliance/MAXPPP
One of the world's largest militaries
Apart from a developing missile and nuclear program, North Korea has a powerful army with 700,000 active troops and another 4.5 million in the reserves. It can call upon almost a quarter of its population to serve in the army at any given time. The North's bloated army is believed to outnumber its southern neighbor's by two-to-one.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/E. Jones
Vast capabilities
According to the 2017 Global Firepower Index, the North has, as part of a far-reaching arsenal, 458 fighter aircraft, 5,025 combat tanks, 76 submarines, and 5,200,000 total military personnel. The picture above from 2013 shows leader Kim Jong Un ordering strategic rocket forces to be on standby to strike US and South Korean targets at any time.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Enemies all around
Alongside the United States, Pyongyang views its neighbors South Korea and Japan as its two other main enemies. North Korea has used US military exercises in the region as means of galvanizing its people, claiming that the exercises are dress rehearsals for an impending invasion.
Image: Reuters/K. Hong-Ji
Huge, colorful demonstrations of military might
Every year, hundreds of thousands of soldiers and citizens roll through the streets of the capital Pyongyang to take part in the North's military parades. Preparations for the rallies often begin months in advance, and the parades usually mark important anniversaries linked with the Communist Party or Kim Jong Un's family.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/KCNA
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No comment from Washington
The White House did not respond to the reports, saying it did not comment on intelligence.
A senior official from South Korea's presidential office also declined to comment, but told Reuters that US and South Korean intelligence agencies were closely monitoring the North's movements.
Joel Wit, a former State Department negotiator and founder of 38 North, a North Korea monitoring project, said on Twitter that it was "unrealistic" to expect Pyongyang to stop its programs "until the ink is dry on an agreement."
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watches the launch of a Hwasong-12 missile in this image released in September, 2017Image: Reuters/KCNA
Vague vows: The reports of renewed activity follow Kim Jong Un's pledge at last month's summit in Singapore to work towards denuclearization. Donald Trump later declared that North Korea was "no longer a nuclear threat." But despite these seemingly positive developments, Pyongyang has offered few concrete details about what denuclearization actually involves. It's also not clear if US and North Korean officials even agree on the definition of denuclearization.
Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un's historic summit in pictures
All eyes were on US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as they met for historic talks in Singapore. Between handshakes, they committed to denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/S. Loeb
First meeting
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump shake hands as they meet for the first time. Unlike in past meetings with some world leaders, Trump did not try to pull Kim's hand towards him or hold on to the North Korean leader's hand too long.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/S. Loeb
From insults to 'special bond'
Trump and Kim appeared at ease with one another during the summit. Just a few months prior, Trump and Kim engaged in a war of words, trading insults like "little rocket man" and "mentally deranged." Following their meeting, Trump said he formed a "special bond" with Kim and that he'd like to invite him to the White House.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/S. Loeb
Who's leading whom?
Kim lays a hand on Trump's back as they leave after signing a joint statement pledging peace negotiations and denuclearization. Some critics worried that the US agreed to give up too many things in negotiations with Kim. At a press conference, Trump said he wanted to stop US military exercises with South Korea and eventually withdraw US troops — something Pyongyang has been demanding for years.
Image: Reuters/J. Ernst
Four-point agreement
Trump displays the joint agreement he signed with Kim. In the four-point document, Kim agreed to the "complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." In exchange, Trump agreed to provide "security guarantees" to Pyongyang. The two leaders also agreed to build a "robust peace regime" and to return the remains of prisoners of the 1950-1953 Korean War.
Image: Reuters/J. Ernst
All eyes on Trump and Kim
South Koreans watch the summit on a screen located at a train station in Seoul. Ahead of the event, critics expressed concern that the meeting between the two leaders would be purely symbolic and not bring concrete progress to easing tensions. Indeed, the agreement did not specify what exact measures would be taken.
Image: Getty Images/C. Sung-Jun
Honoring 'the bromance' in Singapore
A bartender in Singapore crafted a special drink for the summit, dubbed "The Bromance." The meeting was held on Singapore's Sentosa island, a resort area with luxury hotels and a theme park. The island's security was massively increased ahead of the summit, while local businesses marked the occasion with special Trump-Kim branded water and drinks.
Image: Reuters/F. Lim
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Denuclearization doubts: The satellite imagery is not the first sign that North Korea may be continuing development at its nuclear and missile facilities. In June, senior officials cited by US media said intelligence agencies believed North Korea had no intention of giving up its nuclear arsenal, and that the state had increased production of fuel for nuclear weapons. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also reported last week that the North was continuing to make fuel for nuclear bombs despite its pledge to denuclearize.
Historic summit: The June summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un marked the first time a sitting US president had met a North Korean leader. The meeting followed months of hostilities between the two men, with Trump threatening to unleash "fire and fury" on Kim's regime and Kim calling the US president "mentally deranged." In the previous years the North had stepped up its nuclear missile tests, culminating in its first ever intercontinental ballistic missile test in July, 2017.