North Korea: Satellite images show recent activity at undeclared nuclear site

Satellite images have shown recent activity at an undeclared nuclear facility in North Korea, prompting authorities to suspect if it is being used to build nuclear warheads. The imagery was captured by Planet Labs and analysed by experts at the Middlebury Institute of International studies. As per the report, the undisclosed facility located in a village near Pyongyang has been “highly active”.

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'Very active facility' 

Experts also believe that it is linked to North Korea’s nuclear programme. Jeffrey Lewis, a professor at the institute, in his report, stated that the site had all the signs of a nuclear facility.

Elaborating further, Professor Lewis said that it had a security perimeter, on-site housing, monuments to unpublicised leadership visits as well as an underground facility. He added that it sat next to a bottled water factory which had none of those characteristics.

Professor Lewis then went on to say that what is surprising about the site is all the "vehicle traffic, cars, trucks, shipping containers etc'.  Asserting that the factory was still making nuclear weapons, he said despite diplomatic discussions, it's activities have not been slowed down. 

The facility was first identified in 2015 by researchers at James Martin Centre for Nonproliferation Studies. However, Lewis and his fellow researchers who did not publicise the facility as they could not identify its specific role with North Korea's nuclear programme.

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Image credits: Middlebury Institute of International studies