First Time Since It Was Closed In 2018, There Has Been Construction Activity At North Korea's Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site

JAKARTA - Commercial satellite imagery shows construction at North Korea's nuclear test site for the first time since it closed in 2018, US-based analysts said on Tuesday, adding to concerns the country could resume testing of its major weapons.

Images taken by satellite on Friday showed early signs of activity at the Punggye-ri site, including construction of a new building, repairs to another building and possibly some lumber and sawdust, specialists at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) based in California said in a report.

"Construction and repair work indicates that North Korea has made some decisions about the status of the test site," the report said.

North Korea broke a record number of missile launch tests in January, including its largest weapon since 2017, and appears to be preparing to launch a spy satellite.

Meanwhile, international monitors have also reported North Korea's main nuclear reactor facility at Yongbyon appears to be running smoothly, potentially producing fuel for nuclear weapons.

The Punggye-ri site has been closed since North Korea declared a moratorium on nuclear weapons tests in 2018. However, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, however, said he no longer feels bound by the moratorium, with denuclearization talks stalled since 2019.

At the time, North Korea said it would seal off the site's tunnel with a blast, block its entrance and remove all observation facilities, research buildings, and security posts.

They invited several foreign media to observe the demolition, but refused to allow international inspectors, leading to speculation the facility could be restored.

Separately in South Korea, where voters will elect a new president on Wednesday, the National Security Council said on Sunday it was paying close attention to Yongbyon and Punggye-ri, without elaborating.

CNS analysts say the changes at Punggye-ri have only occurred in the last few days, and it's still difficult to conclude what exactly is being built or why.

"One possibility is that North Korea plans to return the test site to a state of readiness to resume testing of nuclear explosives," the report said.

Furthermore, CNS analysts warned the test site could take months, even years, from readiness for a new nuclear explosion.

"How long it will take North Korea to resume testing for explosives at that location, depends on the extent of the damage to the tunnel itself, something we don't know for sure," they wrote in the report.

"There is also the possibility that North Korea will resume nuclear tests at other locations," the report continued.

In this regard, a Pentagon spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Marty Meiners, declined to comment on intelligence matters or commercial image analysis.

"However, we have been very clear about the threat posed by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) missile program, and our commitment to defending the homeland of the ROK (South Korea), Japan and the US, and our commitment to upholding regional peace and security stability. ," he stressed, using the initials of the official names of North and South Korea.

The United States says it is open to talks without preconditions, but North Korea says Washington and its allies must first stop their "hostile policies".

To note, Punggye-ri is North Korea's only known nuclear test site. North Korea conducted six nuclear weapons tests in tunnels at the site from 2006 to 2017.

North Korea's last and largest nuclear test appeared to trigger geological instability, which has since led to several minor earthquakes. However, US intelligence analysts and officials say the site is likely to be usable again.