38 North: No dismantlement activity found at Sohae launching station

A U.S.-based North Korea media outlet reported Wednesday that the dismantlement of North Korea’s Sohae satellite launching station has not made much significant progress since early August. It suggests that the intensity of activity has shifted from last month and early this month where the dismantling work was in full swing.

38 North under the Stimson Center said that while a significant amount of process was made in tearing down the vertical engine test stand from July to early August, there has been no apparent dismantlement activity around the facility since August 3. The news website further reported that the dismantling work on the rail-mounted transfer/processing building “appears to have stalled.” It suggested that the place is still visited by officials of the North Korean authorities, citing the number of trucks and trailers at the headquarters, which has fallen only slightly from 11 to seven.

The dismantlement of North Korea’s engine test site was agreed upon by the two heads of state during the U.S.-North Summit in Singapore in June. The matter was not specified in the joint statement, but U.S. President Donald Trump said that he had reached a verbal agreement on the agenda with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during the meeting.


Gi-Jae Han record@donga.com