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US President Donald Trump gives a speech at the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States National Convention in Kansas City on July 24. (Reuters/Yonhap News)

Trump praises North Korea’s shutdown of West Sea Satellite Launching Station

Additional evidence points to shutdown of ICBM assembly facility near Pyongyang

The US administration under President Donald Trump was apparently delighted by the news that North Korea has begun dismantling its Sohae (West Sea) Satellite Launching Station, in Tongchang Village, North Pyongan Province. This could bring fresh momentum to the stalled deliberations on follow-up measures to the North Korea-US summit.

“New images, just today, show that North Korea has begun the process of dismantling a key missile site. And we appreciate that,” Trump said during a speech at the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States National Convention, held in Kansas City on July 24.

“We’re also pursuing the denuclearization of North Korea and a new future of prosperity, security, and peace on the Korean Peninsula and all of Asia,” Trump said. “We had a fantastic meeting with Chairman Kim, and [the follow-up] seems to be going very well.”

During the speech, Trump also addressed the repatriation of the remains of American soldiers: “We’re also working to bring back the remains of your brothers-in-arms who gave their lives in Korea. And I hope that, very soon, these fallen warriors will begin coming home to lay at rest in American soil.”

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo brought up the subject as well during a press conference following a meeting between the top diplomats and military officials of the US and Australia: “We’ve seen the open press reporting about the missile engine test site. It’d be entirely consistent with the commitment that Chairman Kim made to President Trump when the two of them were in Singapore together.”

The Sohae Satellite Launching Station is the location of the rocket engine test stand that Kim Jong-un promised he would shut down during his summit with Trump.

The US administration did signal its regret that outside observers were not present during the dismantling of the launch site, just as with the detonation of the nuclear test site at Punggye Village. “We’ve been pressing for there to be inspectors on the ground when that engine test facility is dismantled consistent with Chairman Kim’s commitment, and I’ll leave it at that for this morning,” Pompeo said.

“Verification is obviously something that is paramount. Verification from legitimate groups and done by legitimate countries is something that [. . .] the United States Government will be looking for,” State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said

In related news, there is also evidence that North Korea has dismantled an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) assembly facility near Pyongyang. The Voice of America (VOA) reported on July 25 that a missile assembly facility that had been set up next to a factory in Pyongsong, South Pyongan Province, has vanished. VOA said the building’s disappearance was confirmed through analyzing satellite images taken around the Mar. 16 Automobile Plant in Pyongsong on July 20, 21 and 24.

VOA had previously speculated that the Hwasong-15 ICBM that North Korea test launched on Nov. 29 was assembled at this plant and then moved on a transporter-erector-launcher (TEL). Kim Jong-un was at the automobile factory that was connected to the assembly plant when he gave the order for the movement of the TEL carrying the Hwasong-15. VOA noted however that the ICBM assembly facility could be set back up within a few days.

By Yi Yong-in, Washington correspondent, and Kim Ji-eun, staff reporter

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