In front of journalists from the United States, Russia, Great Britain, China and South Korea, the North Korean regime destroyed the facilities where it carried out its six nuclear tests

On Thursday, May 24, North Korea began the dismantling of its nuclear testing center, in front of a small group of foreign journalists who were taken to the facilities in the north-east of the country. According to the regime's official news agency, its nuclear test center in Punggye-ri has been "completely demolished". This action demonstrates its goodwill with what was agreed with South Korea and the denuclearization of the peninsula, and the summit that its leader, Kim Jong-un, was going to celebrate with US President Donald Trump in Singapore, before the American president canceled that meeting.

Leer en español: Corea del Norte destruyó su centro de pruebas nucleares ante la prensa internacional

According to the AP agency, the process began at the base of Punggye-ri, at 11 a.m local time. There, the North Korean regime has carried out its six atomic tests, but the closure would be final, according to the official news agency. The journalists present reported explosions in three of the four tunnels in the underground structure, as well as in observation towers in the vicinity. With this sample the regime wants to consolidate its position of approach to the United States and South Korea.

Pyongyang had pledged to dismantle its atomic center with international experts and international press, following the summit held in late April between its leader and South Korea's president, Moon Jae-in. However, there was no presence of experts, so for journalists this leaves a certain air of uncertainty about the veracity of the gesture.

Read also: WHY DID DONALD TRUMP REMOVE THE UNITED STATES FROM THE NUCLEAR AGREEMENT WITH IRAN?

The demolition of Punggye-ri can be interpreted as a gesture of North Korea to demonstrate its real will to abandon its atomic program prior to the meeting to be held between the North Korean and American leaders in Singapore. This meeting was cancelled by Donald Trump, due to the pronouncements made against Vice President Mike Pence, who in an interview with the FOX network, suggested an end similar to that of Gaddafi in Libya for the North Korean leader.

North Korea had conducted six nuclear tests on the site, which is more than 370 kilometers north of Pyongyang, between thousand meter high mountains in Kilju, North Hamgyong Province. The Punggye-ri silo was one of the most important operational bases of the North Korean nuclear program along with the Yongbyon reactor. Thanks to the granite rock under Mount Mantap, the complex has endured six nuclear explosions, some of which have caused earthquakes that have been felt in China. This is the case of the last test, which was eight times more powerful than the atomic bomb of Hiroshima and caused landslides in the mountains.

Latin American Post | Carlos Eduardo Gómez Avella
Translated from "Corea del Norte destruyó su centro de pruebas nucleares ante la prensa internacional"