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A before and after comparison from the website 38North shows the site of North Korea’s sixth nuclear test that took place at Punggye-ri in Gilju County

North Korea may be preparing for additional tension-raising amid its continued stalemate with the US, analysts suggest. A Dec. 11 piece on the North Korea site 38 North by Los Alamos National Laboratory nuclear testing expert Frank Pabian and other contributors reported “a consistently high level of activity” at the West Portal of the Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site since the North’s sixth nuclear test.

“These activities suggest that tunnel excavation is underway,” the authors wrote.

As evidence, the authors noted the “routine presence of vehicles and personnel around the portal, movement of mining carts from the portal to the adjacent spoil pile and signs of fresh spoil being dumped onto the pile.”

In connection with this, a South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff source said on Dec. 12 that the military was “maintaining a readiness posture under the assessment that a nuclear test in the Punggye area could take place at any time if the North Korean leadership makes the decision.”

In a daily briefing on Dec. 11, Pentagon spokesperson said the US was “watch[ing North Korea] closely” for potential submarine launched ballistic missile (SLBM) activities.

“We'll remain vigilant along with our partners from the Republic of Korea and Japan, our alliance partners there, to make sure that we can counter any North Korean threat,” he added.

The message suggests the US is not totally ruling out the possibility of an SLBM launch. On Dec. 6, the Tokyo Shimbun newspaper quoted a source familiar with the North Korean munitions industry as saying that North Korea had already produced five trial versions of its new Pukguksong-3 SLBM and planned to conduct testing shortly.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attends the 8th Conference of the Munitions Industry which opened in Pyongyang on Dec. 11. The North Korean Central News Agency reported the conference on Dec. 12. (Yonhap News)

Meanwhile, North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Dec. 12 that a munitions industry conference had opened at the April 25 House of Culture in Pyongyang with leader Kim Jong-un in attendance.

“We must regard the great success [of the Hwasong-15 test launch] as a springboard toward great victory and continue striving to qualitatively improve our national nuclear armament,” said Korean Workers’ Party Central Committee Politburo member and vice chairman Tae Jong-su in a report at the conference.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attends the 8th Conference of the Munitions Industry which opened in Pyongyang on Dec. 11. The North Korean Central News Agency reported the conference on Dec. 12. (Yonhap News)

By Yi Yong-in, Washington correspondent and Jung In-hwan, staff reporter

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