Satellite imagery captured on June 21 reveals that North Korea continued to work on its nuclear research center after the U.S.- North Korea Singapore summit earlier in the month.
According to a report published Wednesday, 38 North, a website devoted to analysis of North Korea from the Stimson Center, said work on the site is “continuing at a rapid pace.” Judging from the images, the report noted that it appears that North Korea has modified the cooling system of its plutonium-production reactor, constructed a new building by the cooling tower, and performed additional construction at an experimental light-water reactor. The report is based on commercial satellite imagery of the Yongbyon nuclear research site taken by Airbus Defence & Space.
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“Continued work at the Yongbyon facility should not be seen as having any relationship to North Korea’s pledge to denuclearize,” the report said. “The North’s nuclear cadre can be expected to proceed with business as usual until specific orders are issued from Pyongyang.”
This comes shortly after a June 12 summit between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, where both leaders signed a joint declaration that recognized an intent to work toward denuclearization of North Korea. Trump also tweeted the day after the visit, “There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea.”
Some experts caution that the imagery may not prove that North Korea is backing down on its commitment to denuclearization.
“These infrastructure developments provide limited insight into the future direction of North Korea’s nuclear program,” Andrea Berger, a London-based senior research associate at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, Calif. said, according to The Wall Street Journal. She added that the photos “highlight the likelihood that North Korea has not pressed pause on its general nuclear and missile activities while talks are ongoing.”
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis will hold talks with South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo on Thursday, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he plans to visit Pyongyang soon for the first high-level talks with the North Korean regime since the Singapore summit.
