North Korea is expected to demolish its Punggye-ri nuclear test site any day now, potentially ending an era of illicit nuclear testing at the…
North Korea is expected to demolish its Punggye-ri nuclear test site any day now, potentially ending an era of illicit nuclear testing at the site buried deep in the mountains.
Located in North Hamgyong Province in the northeastern part of the country, the Punggye-ri test site is North Korea’s only known nuclear testing facility. The North conducted a total of six underground nuclear tests in 2006,2009,2013, January 2016, September 2016, and September 2017. The most recent test involved a two-stage thermonuclear bomb (hydrogen bomb) that produced an explosive yield far greater than anything the North Korean regime has previously tested.
The explosion physically reshaped the mountain above, triggered earthquakes, and caused the collapse of a blast cavity, leading some observers to conclude that North Korea’s nuclear test site was damaged beyond repair and could no longer be used for nuclear testing. Others, however, argue that even if the North Portal, the main tunnel, sustained serious damage, the South and West portals are still available for additional weapons testing. (RELATED: Kim Jong Un’s Nuclear Test Site May Be Down But Not Out)
Some analysts in South Korea and China have suggested that further testing could cause a critical collapse, potentially causing an environmental disaster by spreading radioactive fallout across Northeast Asia.
A satellite photo of the Punggye-Ri nuclear test site in North Korea April 19,2018. Planet Labs Inc/Handout via REUTERS
North Korea first announced the closure of its nuclear test site on April 20.
“The nuclear test and the intercontinental ballistic missile test will be discontinued,” state media reported at the time, adding that the “nuclear test center will be discarded in order to ensure the transparency of the suspension of the nuclear test.
