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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 22 May 2018

In North Korea nuke site closure, spectacle trumps substance

By ERIC TALMADGE pertise, the time spent on
TOKYO (AP) — Foreign site or the equipment nec-
journalists will be allowed essary to properly analyze
to journey deep into the and assess the process.
mountains of North Korea "When the United States
this week to observe the did not hold Pyongyang to
closing of the country's this standard, it lost the first
Punggye-ri nuclear test site public quarrel over verifica-
in a much-touted display of tion," he said.
goodwill before leader Kim ___
Jong Un's planned sum- THE DOG AND PONY SHOW
mit with President Donald The site's closure will take
Trump next month. place sometime between
Expect good imagery, but Wednesday and Friday,
not much else. depending on the weath-
The public display of the er.
closure of the facility on North Korea's Foreign Min-
Mount Mantap will likely be istry has invited journalists
heavy on spectacle and from China, Russia, the Unit-
light on substance. And ed States, the United King-
the media will be spend- dom and South Korea to fly
ing much of their time in on a charter aircraft from
an unrelated tourism zone Beijing for what it is calling
that North Korea hopes will a "ceremony" marking the
be the next big thing for its event.
economy if Kim's diplomat- North Korea says the pro-
ic overtures pay off in the cess will involve collapsing
months ahead. This April 20, 2018, satellite image provided by DigitalGlobe shows the nuclear test site in Pung- all tunnels with explosions,
For sure, the closure is a gye-ri, North Korea. completely blocking tun-
milestone, marking an end Associated Press nel entrances, removing all
to the world's last active un- observation and research
derground testing site and North Korea has conduct- believe it could still benefit an H-bomb," he said. facilities and taking down
offering some important ed six underground nuclear considerably by conduct- So in that sense, Kim is mak- structures used for guard-
insights into Kim's mindset tests since 2006. Its most ing more tests. ing a significant conces- ing the site. Satellite imag-
as he sets the stage for his recent and most powerful "North Korea certainly sion. And if Kim were to ery suggests some of the
meeting with Trump. explosion, which the North would need more tests to switch gears and decide to work has already begun.
A look at what's hype and claims tested a hydrogen have any confidence in its test again, he would almost How much of it the journal-
what's worth paying atten- bomb, was in September. H-bomb," said physicist Da- certainly be caught. It's ists, including an Associat-
tion to: All of its tests have been vid Wright, co-director of hard to hide a high-pow- ed Press Television crew, will
___ carried out at Punggye-ri, the global security program ered nuclear blast. Compli- be able to see is an open
THE SUBSTANCE in the country's mountain- of the Union of Concerned ance is verifiable. question. They will be put
Kim announced his plan ous northeast interior. Scientists. Wright said the But the way Kim plans to up at a hotel in faraway
to close the test site dur- Before Kim's announce- North's most recent test is dismantle the site shows he Wonsan, where the press
ing a gathering of senior ment, North Korea was the a prime example. He be- is, as yet, only willing to go center will be located, and
party leaders last month, only country that still con- lieves it was a "demonstra- so far. Adam Mount, a se- make what promises to be
just ahead of his summit ducted underground tests. tion-of-principle device" nior fellow with the Federa- a lengthy trip to the nuclear
with South Korean Presi- Kim's claim that such tests that was not designed to tion of American Scientists, site by special train. It's un-
dent Moon Jae-in. His ex- are no longer needed may be small or light enough to believes that by inviting in- clear how long they will be
planation to the party was have an element of brava- be delivered by missile. ternational media instead allowed to stay at the site.
that North Korea's nuclear do to it. While the North has "The bottom line is that of international monitors, What is clear is why they are
development is now com- demonstrated beyond a stopping testing is impor- North Korea has "stepped going to Wonsan, which is
plete and further under- doubt that it can produce tant to limit its ability to back from a principle of probably the most present-
ground testing is unneces- viable, high-yield nuclear build reliable, deliverable verification." Journalists do able city in North Korea af-
sary. weapons, many experts warheads — especially for not have the technical ex- ter the capital.q