North Korea begins dismantling test-site facilities, U.S. think-tank says

Satellite images indicateNorth Korea has begun dismantling key facilities at a site usedto develop engines for ballistic missilesa first step towardfulfilling a pledge made to U.S. President Donald Trump, aWashington-based think-tank said on Monday.

The July 20 images showed work at the Sohae SatelliteLaunching Station to dismantle a building used to assemble space-launch vehicles and a nearby rocket engine test stand usedto develop liquid-fuel engines for ballistic missiles andspace-launch vehicles, the 38 North think-tank said.

"Since these facilities are believed to have played animportant role in the development of technologies for the North's intercontinental ballistic missile program, theseefforts represent a significant confidence-building measure onthe part of North Korea," it said in a report.

On Tuesday, Trump said the new photos werea sign that the "fantastic" summit he held last month in Singapore with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un "seems to be going very well."

Following his unprecedented June 12 summit with NorthKorean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore, Trump saidKim had promised that amajor missile engine testing site would be destroyed soon.

Trump did not identify the site, but a U.S. officialsubsequently told Reuters that it was Sohae.

But Secretary of State MikePompeoexpressed a note ofcaution. He saidwhile the news the images seem to convey would be "entirelyconsistent" with the pledges that Kim made to Trump, the development would haveto be confirmed by internationalinspectors.

An official said on Tuesday that South Korea's presidential BlueHouse was briefed about the site's dismantlement based ongovernment intelligence, but did not elaborate.

According to Yonhap, Nam Gwan-pyo, deputy director of theSouth's national security office, said: "It's better than doingnothing. And it seems like they are going step by step towarddenuclearization."

The 38 North report comes amid growing questions about NorthKorea's willingness to live up to the commitments Kim made atthe June summit, particularly to work towarddenuclearization.

U.S. officials have repeatedly said North Korea hascommitted to giving up a nuclear weapons program that now threatens the United States, but Pyongyang has offered nodetails as to how it might go about this.

Creating 'peace zone'

Jenny Town, managing editor of 38 North, said the work atSohae could be an important move to keep negotiations going.

"This could (and that's a big could) mean that North Koreais also willing to forgo satellite launches for the time being as well as nuclear and missile tests. This distinction hasderailed diplomacy in the past," she said.

Separately on Tuesday, South Korea's Defence Ministry saidit was planning "a test reduction of some guard post troops andequipment" along the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)that divides North and South Korea.

Kim Jong-un and South Korean PresidentMoon Jae-in agreed at a summit in April to reduce tensions alongthe border with an eye to turning the DMZ into a "peace zone."

Senior U.S. officials called on Kim on Friday to act on hispromise to give up his nuclear weapons and said the world, including China and Russia, must continue to enforce sanctionson Pyongyang until he does so.

The U.S. State Department issued an advisory on Mondaytogether with the departments of Treasury and Homeland Security,alerting businesses to North Korea's sanctions-evasion tactics.

It said they should "implement effective due diligencepolicies, procedures, and internal controls to ensure compliance with applicable legal requirements across their entire supplychains."

Trump rejected "Fake News" that he was angry becauseprogress was not happening fast enough with North Korea.

A report in the Washington Post onthe weekend said that,despite positive assessments Trump has given on progress withNorth Korea, he has vented anger at aides over a lack ofimmediate progress.

Trump said last week there was "no rush" and "no time limit"on denuclearization negotiations.

Dan Coats,U.S. director of national intelligence,said onThursday it was technically possible for North Korea to eliminate its nuclear weapons program within a year, but addedthat it was not likely to happen.