Is this legal? No farangs welcome...

[webfact]

South Korea sees signs North Korea restoring part of launch site it promised to dismantle

By David Brunnstrom and Lisa Lambert

 

FILE PHOTO: Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) are driven past the stand with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and other high-ranking officials during a military parade marking the 105th birth anniversary of the country's founding father Kim Il Sung, in Pyongyang April 15, 2017. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - South Korean intelligence agencies have detected signs that North Korea is restoring part of a missile launch site it began to dismantle after pledging to do so in a first summit with U.S. President Donald Trump last year, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported on Tuesday.

 

Yonhap quoted lawmakers briefed by South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) as saying that the work was taking place at the Tongchang-ri launch site and involved replacing a roof and a door at the facility.

 

The Yonhap report did not say when the work was detected, but news of it comes days after a second summit on denuclearisation between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un broke down last week in Hanoi over differences on how far North Korea was willing to limit its nuclear program and the degree of U.S. willingness to ease sanctions.

 

Trump told a news conference after an unprecedented first summit with Kim on June 12 in Singapore that the North Korean leader had promised that a major missile engine testing site would be destroyed very soon.

 

Trump did not identify the site, but a U.S. official subsequently told Reuters it was the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground, which is located at Tongchang-ri.

 

Asked to comment, the White House referred to the U.S. State Department, which did not immediately respond. A U.S. government source said the NIS was considered reliable on such issues, but added that the work described did not seem particularly alarming, and certainly not on a scale of resuming missile tests that have been suspended since 2017.

 

Kim Jong Un also pledged at a summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in September to close Sohae and allow international experts to observe the dismantling of the missile engine-testing site and a launch pad.

 

Signs that North Korea had begun acting on its pledge to Trump were detected in July, when a Washington think tank said satellite images indicated work had begun at Sohae to dismantle a building used to assemble space-launch vehicles and a nearby rocket engine test stand used to develop liquid-fuel engines for ballistic missiles and space-launch vehicles.

 

However, subsequent images indicated North Korea had halted work to dismantle the missile engine test site in the first part of August.

 

The breakdown of the summit in Hanoi last week has raised questions about the future of U.S.-North Korea dialogue.

 

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday he was hopeful he would send a delegation to North Korea in the coming weeks but that he had "no commitment yet."

 

While North Korea's official media said last week Kim and Trump had decided at the summit to continue talks, its Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui told reporters Kim "might lose his willingness to pursue a deal" and questioned the need to continue.

 

U.S. State Department spokesman Robert Palladino told a news briefing that the United States remains "in regular contact" with North Korea, but he declined to say whether they had been in contact since the summit.

 

Palladino said U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun, who led pre-summit negotiation efforts, planned to meet his South Korea and Japanese counterparts on Wednesday.

 

Yonhap also quoted lawmakers briefed by intelligence officials as saying that the five-megawatt reactor at North Korea's main nuclear site at Yongbyon, which produces weapons-grade plutonium used to build bombs, had not been operational since late last year, concurring with a report from the U.N. atomic watchdog.

 

Yonhap quoted the sources as saying there had been no sign of reprocessing of plutonium from the reactor and that tunnels at North Korea's main nuclear test site in Punggye-ri had remained shut down and unattended since their widely publicized destruction in May, which Pyongyang said was proof of its commitment to ending nuclear testing.

 

The fate of the Yongbyon nuclear complex and its possible dismantling was a central issue in the Hanoi summit.

 

(Reporting by Lisa Lambert and David Brunnstrom; additional reporting by Mark Hosenball; editing by David Gregorio and James Dalgleish)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-03-06

[helpisgood]

44 minutes ago, webfact said:

 

However, subsequent images indicated North Korea had halted work to dismantle the missile engine test site in the first part of August.

 

It's all Cohen's fault for testifying during the Kim negotiations, says President Trump.  Trump's the great deal maker with nerves of steel.  If there's a nuclear crisis, or anything like it, I hope nobody's upsetting Trump (the leader of the free world?) on Twitter at that time.  :-)

[Tug]

Is anyone surprised?another djt loss

[lannarebirth]

1 hour ago, Tug said:

Is anyone surprised?another djt loss

 

The loss came when previous administrations allowed NK to achieve both nuclear bombs and intercontinental delivery systems. Trump came to power in the midst of NK displaying their posession of both with provocative displays. Since that time the provocations have stopped. I would not call that a loss.

 

Do I wish someone other than Trump were negotiating with the NK's? Yes I do. Would someone other than Trump negotiate with them? Probably not. Will draconian sanctions keep NK at the bargaining table? Probably.  Will the US (and probably the US alone) have to cough up aid to get NK on a less belligerant path and perhaps disarm?  Absolutely. Will they ever disarm no matter who negotiates with them? The jury's still out.

[mtls2005]

14 minutes ago, lannarebirth said:

Do I wish someone other than Trump were negotiating with the NK's? Yes I do. Would someone other than Trump negotiate with them? Probably not.

Oy vey. How soon they forget the man in the tan suit.

 

Conservatives hated it when Obama said he’d meet with North Korea. Guess what they say now.

 

https://www.vox.com/2018/3/9/17100880/north-korea-republicans-right-conservatives-obama

[lannarebirth]

2 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

Oy vey. How soon they forget the man in the tan suit.

 

Conservatives hated it when Obama said he’d meet with North Korea. Guess what they say now.

 

https://www.vox.com/2018/3/9/17100880/north-korea-republicans-right-conservatives-obama

 

I'm not sure who the man in the tan suit is. So, during his run for election Obama said he'd be willing to meet with NK. Why didn't he? It's a particularly important question given their greatly expanded war making abilities during his tenure.

[klauskunkel]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

South Korea sees signs North Korea restoring part of launch site it promised to dismantle

and in a symbolic counter gesture Donald Trump is seen re-wrapping a a Big Mac

[lannarebirth]

3 minutes ago, car720 said:

The answer to all of this is to question just what is Americas biggest export.

 

You make a good point.

[Srikcir]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

signs that North Korea is restoring part of a missile launch site it began to dismantle after pledging to do so in a first summit with U.S. President Donald Trump last year

Meanwhile,

As Trump and Kim Met, North Korean Hackers Hit Over 100 Targets in U.S. and Ally Nations

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/03/technology/north-korea-hackers-trump.html

See also

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/north-korea-hackers-trump-kim-summit-vietnam-us-cyber-attack-hanoi-a8808936.html

[Morch]

 

On 3/6/2019 at 11:23 AM, car720 said:

The answer to all of this is to question just what is Americas biggest export.

 

On 3/6/2019 at 11:27 AM, lannarebirth said:

 

You make a good point.

 

Does he?

https://money.cnn.com/2018/03/07/news/economy/top-us-exports/index.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-43873518

 

Unless, of course, it was a reference to a previous post:

 

On 3/6/2019 at 10:18 AM, klauskunkel said:

and in a symbolic counter gesture Donald Trump is seen re-wrapping a a Big Mac

[Prissana Pescud]

Oh Mr Trump, you did it again. Made a total fool of yourself.

I love your pussy grabbing quotes. I love your "Make Mexico pay for the wall"

I love your make all US allies go away.

 I love you make America Great Again, because it was already great until you got in power.

 The whole world loathes you.

And now your best buddy, Mr Kim is now building more launch sites.

And you say you are "disappointed". What a lame joke you are.

 I think you need to call your other "friend" Mr Putin to ask for advice.

 Coz you are a lame duck, waddling.

[neeray]

Except for those with the MAGA tattoo on their forehead, everybody knew the first summit was a joke, much like FAKE news. And I think everybody, "except for .... ", pretty much knew that the more superior brain and negotiator, Kim, had played Donald like a flute. There's no win here.

[Prissana Pescud]

5 minutes ago, car720 said:

How's this for paradox.

My wife, who is Chinese, and most of our Chinese friends absolutely love him.  They are all praying that he will do something to get rid of the CCP but I don't think he has ever had any balls.

No external country will ever get rid of 

[Prissana Pescud]

7 minutes ago, car720 said:

How's this for paradox.

My wife, who is Chinese, and most of our Chinese friends absolutely love him.  They are all praying that he will do something to get rid of the CCP but I don't think he has ever had any balls.

My previous chat was hijacked.

No country will ever overthrow the country of China. 

Please understand that.

 Explain to your Chinese friends just how much of a dud he is. And has always been.

China and US are possibly the equal of each other now. US dare not challenge China now.

And the current US head of state is the worst for at least a century. 

 And I feel sorry for you, even my Thai wife says he is a bad man.

[tifino]

Oh wait! wait!  - it is just the Chinese building Kim a new higher altitude Port! Very high in the hills in preparation for rising sea levels 

 - all very innocent ????

[Rimmer]

A baiting troll post has been removed also reply

[Tug]

Word is it’s up and running allready and what did donald trade off???oh yes I rember the exercises with the south and for what in return you ask???nothing but a cheep photo op

[Morch]

2 hours ago, car720 said:

CNN makes no mention at all of the one thing that I was actually referring to.  Guns and munitions, etc..

 

That would be because, contrary to your assertion,  it doesn't make it into the USA's top 10 exports list. As the BBC piece details, the annual global arms sales were around the $100bn mark. The USA's share of the actions comes to a third, or so. That's way short even of the last item on the CNN list.

 

[JAG]

3 hours ago, car720 said:

How's this for paradox.

My wife, who is Chinese, and most of our Chinese friends absolutely love him.  They are all praying that he will do something to get rid of the CCP but I don't think he has ever had any balls.

The only people that will get rid of the CCP are the people of China.

 

Should/when that happens the rest of the world, however great Mr Trump makes America again, will merely be bystanders.

 

Worried, interested, enthusiastic? That will depend upon our political view of, and economic entanglement with, China; but mere bystanders.

 

Meanwhile, the North Korean regime exists simply because it suits China. Essentially I suggest because they do not want the USA's sphere of influence to come up to the Yalu River. If that worry ever subsides for any reason, then I should imagine that Kim III and his gang of psychopathic thugs will be dead inside a week.

 

That would be a shame wouldn't it now?

Edited March 8, 2019 by JAG

[bristolboy]

4 hours ago, JAG said:

The only people that will get rid of the CCP are the people of China.

 

Should/when that happens the rest of the world, however great Mr Trump makes America again, will merely be bystanders.

 

Worried, interested, enthusiastic? That will depend upon our political view of, and economic entanglement with, China; but mere bystanders.

 

Meanwhile, the North Korean regime exists simply because it suits China. Essentially I suggest because they do not want the USA's sphere of influence to come up to the Yalu River. If that worry ever subsides for any reason, then I should imagine that Kim III and his gang of psychopathic thugs will be dead inside a week.

 

That would be a shame wouldn't it now?

Sure. China is going to risk being rained upon by nuclear weapons.

[Prissana Pescud]

On 3/8/2019 at 10:44 AM, JAG said:

The only people that will get rid of the CCP are the people of China.

 

Should/when that happens the rest of the world, however great Mr Trump makes America again, will merely be bystanders.

 

Worried, interested, enthusiastic? That will depend upon our political view of, and economic entanglement with, China; but mere bystanders.

 

Meanwhile, the North Korean regime exists simply because it suits China. Essentially I suggest because they do not want the USA's sphere of influence to come up to the Yalu River. If that worry ever subsides for any reason, then I should imagine that Kim III and his gang of psychopathic thugs will be dead inside a week.

 

That would be a shame wouldn't it now?

Historically, China has surrounded the country vassal states.

For 500 years they controlled half of what we now called Vietnam.

They use Mongolia in the same way. After MacArthurs huge blunder in posting troops along the Yalu/ Yala River, 

China has essentially made Nth Korea a vassal state. And ultimately why there will never be US influence in that poor pawn of a so called nation.

Edited March 9, 2019 by Prissana Pescud
It is also why China took Tibet, as a block between China and India

[mrwebb8825]

On 3/8/2019 at 10:44 AM, JAG said:

Meanwhile, the North Korean regime exists simply because it suits China. Essentially I suggest because they do not want the USA's sphere of influence to come up to the Yalu River. If that worry ever subsides for any reason, then I should imagine that Kim III and his gang of psychopathic thugs will be dead inside a week.

 

That would be a shame wouldn't it now?

could very well be part of the trade deal still being worked out. Withdraw of life from Kim, withdraw of nukes from NK, withdraw of US troops from SK... 

[bristolboy]

29 minutes ago, mrwebb8825 said:

could very well be part of the trade deal still being worked out. Withdraw of life from Kim, withdraw of nukes from NK, withdraw of US troops from SK... 

And the utter lack of evidence that this is the case only makes your suppositions even more likely to be true and not at all a case of wishful thinking.