New activities have been detected at a North Korean intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) plant, South Korean media said yesterday, as US President Donald Trump said he would be disappointed if Pyongyang had rebuilt a rocket site.
Movement of cargo vehicles was spotted recently at a factory at Sanumdong in Pyongyang, which produced North Korea’s first ICBMs capable of reaching the US, the JoongAng Ilbo and Donga Ilbo reported, citing lawmakers briefed by the South Korean National Intelligence Service on Tuesday.
National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon told the lawmakers that he practically viewed the activity as missile-related, the JoongAng Ilbo reported.
The newspaper also quoted Suh as saying that North Korea continued to operate its uranium enrichment facility at the main Yongbyon nuclear complex after a first summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore in June last year.
The Sanumdong factory produced two Hwasong-15 ICBMs — North Korea’s longest-range missiles, which can fly more than 13,000km.
North Korea began work to dismantle a missile engine test stand at Sohae last year in line with Kim pledge made at his first summit with Trump in June in Singapore.
“I would be very disappointed if that were happening,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, when asked if North Korea was breaking a promise. “It’s too early to see... It’s a very early report. We’re the ones that put it out, but I would be very, very disappointed in Chairman Kim, and I don’t think I will be, but we’ll see what happens. We’ll take a look. It’ll ultimately get solved.”
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