N.Korea schedules nuclear test site dismantlement

May 13, 2018 | News On Japan

May 13, 2018 (NHK) - North Korea says it will dismantle a nuclear test site in the country's northeast sometime between May 23rd and 25th.

The state-run Korean Central News Agency made the announcement on Saturday night, quoting a press release from the Foreign Ministry.

According to the announcement, the site's underground tunnels will be collapsed using explosives. Then, after all entryways are shut, ground-level observation facilities and research centers will be removed.

It says the date for the dismantlement will be set depending on weather conditions.

The ruling Korean Workers' Party made the decision to abandon the Punggye-ri nuclear test site at a plenary meeting of the Central Committee last month. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un also pledged at the inter-Korean summit to close the test site this month.

The announcement also says journalists from China, Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom and South Korea will be allowed to cover the dismantling, to ensure the transparency of the process.

It says the country will arrange a flight for the reporters from Beijing to the city of Wonsan.

Analysts say the country is hoping the move to allow on-site coverage will demonstrate how seriously it's taking denuclearization ahead of the upcoming first-ever US-North Korean summit.

Source: ANNnewsCH

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