"North Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site Activity Continues... No Signs of Imminent Test Yet"

There are currently no signs indicating an imminent additional nuclear test at North Korea's Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site (Northern Nuclear Test Site). However, small-scale activities continue to be detected, suggesting that a 7th nuclear test could be carried out at any time.

The U.S.-based North Korea specialist media 38 North stated on the 11th (local time), "Commercial satellite images of the Punggye-ri nuclear test site show ongoing activities throughout the area," but added, "there were no major activities indicating an imminent nuclear test."

The appearance of Tunnel No. 4 at the Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site before the explosion on May 25, 2018.

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According to satellite image analysis, there are indications of personnel deployment in the northern and southern parts of the test site, and small-scale activities have been detected near tunnels 3 and 4. Considering the infrastructure and machinery around tunnel 3, the media assessed that a nuclear test could be conducted at any time once a 'decision' is made. However, no trends suggesting an imminent nuclear test, such as personnel being stationed close to the tunnels, were confirmed.

In May 2018, as part of a "denuclearization confidence-building measure" ahead of the first North Korea-U.S. summit, North Korea demolished tunnels 2 to 4 at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site. However, after the 2019 Hanoi summit between North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un and then U.S. President Donald Trump ended without an agreement and North Korea-U.S. talks on denuclearization reached a deadlock, North Korea's stance changed rapidly.

Since early last year, North Korea began restoring the destroyed tunnels, and by August of that year, it was estimated that restoration work on tunnel 3 was virtually completed. From January this year, activities expanding the work area of tunnel 4 have been detected, and it is currently assessed that access inside the tunnel is possible. There are also observations that if restoration of tunnel 4, which is known to be deeper than tunnel 3, is completed, a series of nuclear tests could be possible.

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