North Korea may use east coast launch site for ICBM test, think tank says

This satellite image provided by Google Earth and 38 North shows ballistic-missile launch positions near Kalma International Airport, North Korea. A recent analysis by 38 North said Pyongyang has made improvements at the site, suggesting it could support an intercontinental ballistic missile launch.

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea may use a launch site on its east coast to test fire an intercontinental ballistic missile, a U.S. think tank said.

Jitters have been high after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said earlier this month his country is in the “final stages” of developing an ICBM. That would be a major step toward its goal of targeting the U.S. mainland with a nuclear-tipped missile.

38 North, a websitethe adjacent airport, including radars that could be used to track missile flights and ensure the airspace is clear of traffic, according to the website.

“During the past three months, several of the access roads have been re-graded and laid with gravel, suggesting preparation to handle missiles heavier than the Musudan [intermediate-range missile] like an ICBM,” it added.

A small pad also has been graded and gravel laid, and the second launch position appears to have been re-graded, although not paved. That would allow for simultaneous launches of ballistic missiles.

North Korea frequently conducts missile tests or other activity in connection with high-profile events, raising fears it could act to test the new U.S. administration under President Donald Trump.

South Korean military officials told the Yonhap news agency last week there are