Eruptions of earth & rock: RT witnesses N. Koreas dismantling of Punggye-ri nuke test site
North Korea has dismantled its nuclear test site at Punggye-ri, according to RTs Igor Zhdanov, who i..
North Korea has dismantled its nuclear test site at Punggye-ri, according to RTs Igor Zhdanov, who is part of a journalist pool that witnessed the event.
According to Zhdanov, the journalists were shown three of four tunnels used for nuclear tests at the site. One of them, the northern tunnel, had been used extensively for recent nuclear testing, he said.
The North Koreans explained that the two other tunnels were new and would have likely been used for tests in the near future. Demolishing the tunnels, Zhdanov said, “was a real way of showing how they are ready to make real concessions.”
He said the explosions used to destroy the tunnels were “impressive,” describing them as “small eruptions of earth and rock.” All infrastructure at the site – including barracks and security checkpoints – were destroyed by the blasts, Zhdanov reports.
However, he noted that the buildings had been emptied before being demolished. “We were told that they got rid of the equipment earlier. But of course we have no way of verifying that.”
North Korea's nuclear weapons institute said on Thursday that Pyongyang was committed to helping build a nuclear-free world. The institute said that staff from the Punggye-ri test site were being evacuated, and that it was now "impossible" for nuclear tests to be conducted there.
“Finally, being told to pack our bags, meeting in the hotel lobby in an hour. Destination: Punggye-ri nuclear test site,” Zhdanovs last tweet reads, posted on Wednesday. He and the other journalists would have to hike for about one hour to reach the remote test site, according to Zhdanovs previous reports.
