North Korea carries out ‘very important test’
North Korea’s state news agency KCNA said on Sunday that “a very important test” had been carried out at its the Sohae Launch Facility.
“The results of the recent important test will have an important effect on changing the strategic position of the DPRK once again in the near future,” KCNA reported.
Pyongyang has not revealed any additional details about the nature of the test.
The Sohae Launch Facility, located near the country’s northwestern border with China, was supposed to have been decommissioned in 2018, but reports emerged earlier this year indicating it had been rebuilt.
The new development comes as a year-end deadline North Korea had imposed is fast approaching. Pyongyang has warned that it could take a “new path” if no progress is made in denuclearization talks with the US before the deadline.
Read more: Hardly comparable: How the Koreas see German reunification
According to recent media reports, a new satellite image indicated that North Korea could be readying to resume testing engines used to power satellite launchers at the Sohae Launch Facility.
Missile experts have said it appeared likely Pyongyang conducted a static test of a rocket engine, instead of a missile launch.
“If it is indeed a static engine test for a new solid or liquid fuel missile, it is yet another loud signal that the door for diplomacy is quickly slamming, if it isn’t already,” Vipin Narang, a nuclear affairs expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US, told Reuters.
“This could be a very credible signal of what might await the world after the New Year,” he added.
Negotiations between the US and North Korea on denuclearization have so far been stalled since the second summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Vietnam in February.
Disputes over how much sanctions relief the North must get in return for disarmament steps have marred the talks.
On Saturday, prior to the test, North Korea’s ambassador to the UN said denuclearization was now off the negotiating table with the US, adding that talks with Washington were no longer needed.
In recent months, Pyongyang has performed several short-range missile and other weapons launches and even hinted at lifting its moratorium on bigger weapons tests, such as nuclear and long-range missiles.
jcg/dr (AP, AFP, dpa)
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North Korea’s socialist ‘paradise’ city Samjiyon — in pictures
Samjiyon, revamped
North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un (second from right) commemorated the completion of the revamped city of Samjiyon. Kim hailed the city as “an epitome of modern civilization.”
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North Korea’s socialist ‘paradise’ city Samjiyon — in pictures
Supposed birthplace of Kim Jong Il
The Samjiyon township lies near the Paektu Mountain about 15 kilometers (9 miles) away from Yalu River that separates North Korea and China. The site holds a holy status in the country as the apparent birth place of Kim Jong Un’s father and predecessor, Kim Jong Il.
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North Korea’s socialist ‘paradise’ city Samjiyon — in pictures
Resort city
Samjiyon, described as a “mountainous modern city under socialism,” provides housing for 4,000 families, according to state news agency KCNA. The city also features a hospital, cultural facilities and a ski resort.
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North Korea’s socialist ‘paradise’ city Samjiyon — in pictures
Big initiative
The opening of Samjiyon also featured a fireworks display and thunderous jubilation. The city is one of the largest economic initiatives Kim has undertaken as part of his drive for a “self-reliant economy” amid US sanctions.
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North Korea’s socialist ‘paradise’ city Samjiyon — in pictures
‘Ordeals and difficulties’
State media said the project was completed despite “the worst trials” and “ordeals and difficulties,” without elaborating. Construction was delayed due to shortages on construction materials and labor as a result of international sanctions imposed to curb the country’s nuclear program.
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North Korea’s socialist ‘paradise’ city Samjiyon — in pictures
Youth labor brigade
The delays in construction prompted Pyongyang to mobilize youth labor brigades. North Korean defectors and human rights activists likened the initiative to “slave labor” as the participants got no pay, poor food and were forced to work more than 12 hours a day for up to 10 years. The return for the labor was better chances to enter a university or admission to the powerful Workers’ Party.
Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/north-korea-carries-out-very-important-test/a-51575443?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf