N. Korea starts restoring some dismantled structures at space center: 38 North

[Yonhap News Photo]

SEOUL -- North Korea has started rebuilding some structures in its space center that played an important role in the development of intercontinental ballistic missile technologies, 38 North, the website of a U.S. research institute, said, supporting similar reports by South Korea's spy agency.

At an inter-Korean summit in September last year, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un pledged to permanently dismantle facilities for ballistic missile launches and engine testing at the Sohae space center in Tongchang-ri in the presence of international inspectors.

At the beginning of negotiations with the United States last year, the North had started to dismantle the rail-mounted transfer building on the launch pad along with the engine test stand. While progress was quick at first, both the launch pad and the engine test stand had remained in about the same condition since August 2018, 38 North said in its new analysis published on Wednesday.

"Efforts to rebuild these structures started" sometime between February 16 and March 2 this year, the website said.

"On the launch pad, the rail-mounted transfer building is being reassembled," it said, adding materials stacked on the pad were gone. "Two support cranes are observed at the building, the walls have been erected and a new roof added. The walls appear to be one segment taller than the previous transfer building and new truss is being installed."

At the engine test stand, it appears that the engine support structure is being reassembled, with two cranes present and construction materials spread across the stand's apron, 38 North said, adding that new roofs have been installed on the fuel and oxidizer buildings and what appeared to be possible trailers were observed on the apron.

38 North's analysis came after South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS), said Tuesday in a report to the National Assembly's intelligence committee that North Korea was restoring some dismantled structures in the Sohae space center.

The spy agency said that resumed activity has the purpose of enhancing publicity when North Korea dismantles facilities, watched by international experts, in case of successful denuclearization talks. Or it would be used again for missile launches if negotiations fail, it said.

Lim Chang-won cwlim34@ajunews.com

N. Korea starts restoring some dismantled structures at space center: 38 North

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