The United States secret service have revealed that United States spy satellites have detected renewed activity at a North Korean missile producing factory which may indicate that North Korea may be building more ballistic missiles.
The discovery comes amidst talks to compel North Korea to give up its nuclear arsenal in exchange for lifting of sanctions by the United States.
A United States senior official confirmed the news on Monday, he said Photos and infrared imaging showed vehicles moving in and out of the facility at Sanumdong, but admitted that the images did not reveal how far advanced any missile construction might be.
The Washington Post had earlier reported that it seemed like North Korea was building one or two new liquid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missiles at the large research facility on the outskirts of Pyongyang, citing unidentified officials familiar with intelligence reporting.
United States officials reported that the images showed a truck and a covered trailer typical of vehicles utilized by the North Koreans to move its Ballistic missiles from the factory to the launch sites; the US official said it could not be confirmed if the truck was carrying anything at all.
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While the White House refused to comment on this latest piece of intelligence, a senior official from South Korea’s presidential office disclosed that U.S. and South Korean intelligence agencies were observing North Korean movements critically; he however refused to go further on the subject.
This news suggesting heightened activities at North Korean missile producing factories comes after a summit between United States President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held at Singapore back in June.
Donald Trump had declared after the historic meeting between the two leaders that North Korea no longer posed a nuclear threat and although Kim had committed in a broad summit statement to work toward denuclearization, He offered no details as to how his government was going to achieve this and subsequent talks have not gone as smoothly as expected.
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Despite the optimism of the United States President regarding the denuclearization of North Korea, US intelligence officials do not share his enthusiasm and reported in late June that US Intelligence agencies believed North Korea had increased production of fuel for nuclear weapons and that it did not intend to fully give up its nuclear arsenal.
The United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo revealed to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week that North Korea had continued to produce fuel for nuclear bombs in spite of its pledge to denuclearize. He however insisted that the Trump administration was still making progress in its talks with North Korea.
Despite skepticism on the part of the United States intelligence agencies, North Korea has taken several steps in good faith towards the deal made with the US. The North Koreans have dismantled the rocket test site where ballistic missiles were test- fired; they also returned the bodies of 54 American soldiers who perished in North Korea during the Korean War.