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Please find current stories from Top News - World News , below.</s>SEOUL, July 23 (UPI) -- Satellite images show that North Korea has begun dismantling major facilities at a rocket launching site used to test long-range ballistic missiles, a U.S. think tank said.

North Korea appears to have started removing key facilities, such as a missile transfer structure and a rocket engine test stand, used to develop engines for ballistic missiles and space launch vehicles at the Sohae Satellite Launching Station in the northwestern province, satellite photos revealed by 38 North showed.

"Since these facilities are believed to have played an important role in the development of technologies for the North's intercontinental ballistic missile program, these efforts represent a significant confidence building measure on the part of North Korea," 38 North said.

The dismantlement has been made as a follow-up of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's pledge to dismantle one of the missile test sites at the June 12 summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. CBS identified that it was the Sohae Satellite Launching Station that Kim promised to destroy, citing U.S. government officials in June.

The July 20 photo showed that work was underway to remove structures at the launch pad and the engine test stand. Another photo taken two days later shows further progress in removing the launch pad and the continued presence of a crane and vehicles thought to be used for dismantling structures. The July 22 photo shows a visible progress made in the dismantlement.

This Sohae Satellite Launching Station had been used to test major long-range ballistic missiles and satellites.

The facility, completed in 2009, was first used to launch the Unha 3-rocket in April 2012. In February 2016, the North launched its Gwangmyeongsong-4 satellite at the site, a month after the fourth nuclear test, according to Hankyoreh.

It has led the South Korean government's decision to close the North-South joint industrial complex in the North Korean border town of Kaesong.</s>SEOUL: North Korea has started dismantling some facilities at its main satellite launch station, seen as the testing ground for its intercontinental ballistic missiles, according to expert analysis of recent satellite images.If confirmed, the analysis by respected US-based website 38 North could signal a step forward after last month's landmark summit between Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump , although some experts questioned the significance of the gesture.After the summit, Trump had declared the North Korean nuclear threat was effectively over, and US media reports suggest he is privately furious at the lack of any subsequent progress on the denuclearisation issue.His public statements, however, remain upbeat and the 38 North analysis came as the president pronounced himself "very happy" with the way talks were progressing with Pyongyang.The website said imagery indicated the North had begun taking down a processing building and a rocket-engine test stand that had been used to test liquid-fuel engines at its Sohae Satellite Launching Station Sohae, on the northwest coast of North Korea, is ostensibly a facility designed for putting satellites into orbit, but rocket engines are easily repurposed for use in missiles and the international community has labelled Pyongyang's space programme a fig leaf for weapons tests.38 North analyst Joseph Bermudez called the move an "important first step" for Kim in fulfilling a promise that Trump said the North Korean leader made during their June summit in Singapore.Since Sohae is "believed to have played an important role in the development of technologies for the North's intercontinental ballistic missile program, these efforts represent a significant confidence-building measure on the part of North Korea," Bermudez said.Trump said in Singapore that Kim had committed to destroying a "major" missile engine test site, without specifying the site.Sohae has been the North's primary rocket launch site since 2012, and some experts cautioned against reading too much into the work described in the 38 North analysis.Melissa Hanham, senior research associate with the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Monterey, said that while dismantling the engine test site was a "good move", it amounted to "the bare minimum" that could be done at Sohae."Unless they dismantle the whole site, it will remain North Korea's premier location for space launches," Hanham said on Twitter."North Korea does not need the Sohae engine test stand anymore if it is confident in the engine design. As (Kim Jong Un) said himself, North Korea is moving from testing to mass production," she said, adding that observers should look for signs of new sites where more missiles could be built."We ignored North Korea too long, and now it's about managing how many nuclear weapons and delivery systems they have, not IF they have them," she said.A US defence official also downplayed the news, saying the Sohae site was not a priority in terms of monitoring the North's denuclearisation efforts."It's not on the radar, so to speak," the official said.In a sign of Washington's impatience with what it sees as North Korean heel-dragging on the denuclearisation issue, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was in New York last week urging UN member-states to keep tough economic sanctions in place to pressure Kim into moving forward.China and Russia have argued that North Korea should be rewarded with the prospect of eased sanctions for opening up dialogue with the United States and halting missile tests.</s>SEOUL, July 24 (UPI) -- Satellite images show that North Korea has begun dismantling major facilities at a rocket launching site used to test long-range ballistic missiles, a U.S. think tank said.

North Korea appears to have started removing key facilities, such as a missile transfer structure and a rocket engine test stand, used to develop engines for ballistic missiles and space launch vehicles at the Sohae Satellite Launching Station in the northwestern province, satellite photos revealed by 38 North showed.

"Since these facilities are believed to have played an important role in the development of technologies for the North's intercontinental ballistic missile program, these efforts represent a significant confidence building measure on the part of North Korea," 38 North said.

The dismantlement has been made as a follow-up of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's pledge to dismantle one of the missile test sites at the June 12 summit with U.S. President Donald Trump.

CBS identified that it was the Sohae Satellite Launching Station that Kim promised to destroy, citing U.S. government officials in June.

The July 20 photo showed that work was underway to remove structures at the launch pad and the engine test stand. Another photo taken two days later shows further progress in removing the launch pad and the continued presence of a crane and vehicles thought to be used for dismantling structures.

The July 22 photo shows a visible progress made in the dismantlement.

This Sohae Satellite Launching Station had been used to test major long-range ballistic missiles and satellites.

The facility, completed in 2009, was first used to launch the Unha 3-rocket in April 2012. In February 2016, the North launched its Gwangmyeongsong-4 satellite at the site, a month after the fourth nuclear test, according to Hankyoreh.

The South Korean Presidential Office welcomed the North's dismantlement of its missile launch site on Tuesday.

"It's a good sign, better than doing nothing. They are taking it step by step toward denuclearization," said Nam Gwan-pyo, deputy director of the presidential office's National Security Office, according to Yonhap.

Nam added that it requires an analysis of the North's intention for conducting the dismantlement in a discreet manner. The North didn't turn it into a spectacle as they did with the Punggye-ri nuclear test site in May. It invited multinational foreign press corps to watch the demolition of the site.</s>North Korea has begun dismantling key facilities at an important rocket launching site on the northwest coast of the country, a U.S. monitor said Monday, based on its analysis of satellite images.

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

The images suggest that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was complying with his pledge made to President Donald Trump during a historic summit in Singapore last month.

"Since these facilities are believed to have played an important role in the development of technologies for the North's intercontinental ballistic missile program, these efforts represent a significant confidence-building measure on the part of North Korea," Washington-based 38 North said.

Trump told reporters after the June 12 summit that Kim had promised to destroy a key engine test site very soon. But he did not identify the site. Reuters news agency later reported it had found out the site was Sohae.

The think tank's report comes amid suspicions that North Korea may not keep its promise of "complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."

Jenny Town, managing editor of 38 North, said the dismantling job at Sohae satellite launching station could be an important move to keep negotiations going.

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

In a tweet early on Monday, Trump rejected a report that he was angry at the slow progress in relations with North Korea.

"Wrong, very happy!" he said. "A Rocket has not been launched by North Korea in 9 months. Likewise, no nuclear tests. Japan is happy, all of Asia is happy," he added.</s>Satellite imagery shows North Korea has begun taking down its main satellite launch facility, an apparent confidence-building measure by Pyongyang amid concerns about the slow pace of progress on dismantling the country’s nuclear weapons programs.

North Korea has begun to raze its rocket engine test stand and assembly plant at the Sohae Satellite Launching Station, the country’s primary launch site for rockets since 2012, according to new imagery published Monday by North Korea-focused website 38 North.

The move, which hasn’t yet been announced by North Korea’s state media, is an apparent follow-through on a promise that President Donald Trump said was made to him during his June 12 summit meeting in Singapore with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

In the six weeks since that handshake, concerns have grown about North Korea’s sincerity in fulfilling its pledges as part of the detente — particularly following apparent delays by North Korea in returning the remains of U.S. soldiers killed in the Korean War, the most immediate of the four points agreed to in the Singapore statement.

An expanded version of this report appears on WSJ.com.

2.5 billion pounds of meat piles up in U.S. as production grows, exports slow.</s>North Korea has started dismantling some facilities at its main satellite launch station, seen as the testing ground for its intercontinental ballistic missiles, according to expert analysis of recent satellite images.

If confirmed, the analysis by respected US-based website 38 North could signal a step forward after last month’s landmark summit between Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump, although some experts questioned the significance of the gesture.

After the summit, Trump had declared the North Korean nuclear threat was effectively over, and US media reports suggest he is privately furious at the lack of any subsequent progress on the denuclearisation issue.

His public statements, however, remain upbeat and the 38 North analysis came as the president pronounced himself “very happy” with the way talks were progressing with Pyongyang.

The website said imagery indicated the North had begun taking down a processing building and a rocket-engine test stand that had been used to test liquid-fuel engines at its Sohae Satellite Launching Station.

Sohae, on the northwest coast of North Korea, is ostensibly a facility designed for putting satellites into orbit, but rocket engines are easily repurposed for use in missiles and the international community has labelled Pyongyang’s space programme a fig leaf for weapons tests.

38 North analyst Joseph Bermudez called the move an “important first step” for Kim in fulfilling a promise that Trump said the North Korean leader made during their June summit in Singapore.

Since Sohae is “believed to have played an important role in the development of technologies for the North’s intercontinental ballistic missile program, these efforts represent a significant confidence-building measure on the part of North Korea,” Bermudez said.

Trump said in Singapore that Kim had committed to destroying a “major” missile engine test site, without specifying the site.

Sohae has been the North’s main rocket launch site since 2012, and South Korea — whose president brokered the landmark summit between Trump and Kim — called it a step towards denuclearisation.

“It’s a better sign than doing nothing,” Nam Gwan-pyo, deputy director of the presidential national security office, told reporters.

“I believe they are moving step by step towards denuclearisation,” Nam added.

But some experts cautioned against reading too much into the work described in the 38 North analysis.</s>New images published Monday by the prominent monitoring group 38 North indicate North Korea has begun dismantling key facilities at the Sohae Satellite Launching Station — a move analysts say represents “an important first step towards fulfilling a commitment” made by Kim Jong Un during his summit with President Donald Trump in Singapore.

An analysis of the commercial satellite imagery captured between July 20 and July 22 shows that North Korea has started disassembling parts of its main satellite launch station — a site that is believed to have played an important role in the development of Pyongyang’s intercontinental ballistic missile program.

“Since these facilities are believed to have played an important role in the development of technologies for the North’s intercontinental ballistic missile program, these efforts represent a significant confidence-building measure on the part of North Korea,” according to 38 North’s Joseph Bermudez Jr.

“Most notably, these include the rail-mounted processing building — where space launch vehicles are assembled before moving them to the launchpad — and the nearby rocket engine test stand used to develop liquid-fuel engines for ballistic missiles and space launch vehicles.”

Both Trump and his secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, have been urging patience since the President held a historic summit with Kim in Singapore last month but the President has privately expressed frustration over the perceived lack of progress in talks, a US official told CNN.

Trump pushed back against that suggestion Monday, tweeting that he is “very happy” with the progress with North Korea, noting a lack of rocket launches and nuclear tests in recent months.

Adam Mount, a senior fellow and director at the Federation of American Scientists, agreed that these steps “are encouraging and helpful for extending talks” but noted they “are not themselves a major material step toward disarmament or militarily significant restrictions.”

“This is consistent with North Korea’s public line, which is that its successful test program is now transitioning to mass production of nuclear and missile systems,” he said.

“Dismantling test infrastructure, especially for space launch vehicles, does not change this calculation. It’s also troubling that North Korea has apparently been allowed to dodge verification at both Punggye-ri and Sohae. That will have to be fixed for subsequent agreements,” Mount added.

And while Monday’s images may amount to a “confidence building measure” by the North Koreans, it appears that they expect the US to reciprocate if talks are to continue.

CNN reported on Monday that continued negotiations between the two sides hinge on Washington’s willingness to make a “bold move” and agree to a peace treaty with Pyongyang, according to an official with close knowledge of North Korea’s position on the matter.

If the US is unwilling to replace the armistice agreement that ended the Korean War with a permanent peace that would ensure the survival of Kim’s regime, Pyongyang will likely not proceed further with denuclearization talks, the source said.

Meanwhile, US Democrats in Congress remain largely in the dark on the administration’s plans with regards to a path forward with North Korea and skepticism over Kim’s intentions.

Ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Bob Menendez told CNN on Monday he hopes Pompeo can provide answers when he testifies on Capitol Hill this week.

“We all want diplomacy to succeed, so I am interested to hear more from Secretary Pompeo this Wednesday on his views on this development — and if he considers this to be significant,” the New Jersey Democrat said in reference to the images published Monday.

“The fact of the matter is that last year, on President Trump’s watch, North Korea made significant advances in its ballistic missile technology, achieving what many experts agree is a nuclear-capable operational ICBM,” Menendez added.

“I want to hear from the secretary how and if this action by North Korea is integrated into a cogent and coherent diplomatic framework that gets us to complete and verifiable dismantlement of North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs,” he told CNN.</s>North Korea has begun dismantling the facilities at its satellite launch station in Sohae, according to an analysis of commercial satellite imagery released on the 38 North website.

The Sohae location has been the main site for North Korean satellite launches since 2012. The testing facilities at the site are thought to play a role in the development of liquid-fuel engines that can also be used in North Korea’s ballistic missile programme.

If the analysis of the satellite imagery is accurate, North Korea may be taking a step toward the disarmament that was agreed upon by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump during a landmark meeting in Singapore on June 12.

After that summit, Trump said Kim had pledged to dismantle a missile site. US officials later confirmed that the site that the US president was referring to was Sohae. However, the lack of visible progress toward that pledge was one factor that soon served to undermine the agreements reached between Kim and Trump.

The images published by 38 North, a US-based website focused on North Korea that is affiliated with the Stimson Center in Washington, were taken by the commercial companies Digital Globe and Airbus Defence and Space on July 20 and July 22, respectively.

In one set of images, it appears that a rail-mounted processing building is being dismantled. This building is where space launch vehicles are assembled before they are moved to the launch pad, according to 38 North analyst Joseph Bermudez Jnr.

Separately, images show activity around a vertical engine test stand at Sohae. Bermudez notes that in the images from July 22, the test stand appears to have been “completely dismantled”, adding that “given the state of activity, work is likely to have begun sometime within the past two weeks.”

On Twitter, 38 North’s founder, Joel Wit, said the images suggested that North Korea may be willing to “give up its space launch programme.” Wit, a former State Department negotiator with North Korea and a consistent advocate for dialogue with Pyongyang, said such a move would be just one step in the right direction, “but an important one.”

Notably, the timeline of the satellite images suggests that North Korea may have begun dismantling the facilities at Sohae after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Pyongyang in early July in a bid to make progress on the agreement reached in Singapore.

However, the dismantlement of the facilities at Sohae appears to have taken place without outside experts there to verify it. The North Korean government has made a number of such unilateral moves since the start of the year, including the apparent destruction of the Punggye-ri nuclear test site in March. Analysts have cautioned that these steps need verification.

After a flurry of activity earlier in the year, there had been signs recently that ongoing denuclearisation talks between the United States and North Korea were going slower than anticipated. US intelligence officials said last month that Pyongyang was working to conceal key aspects of its nuclear programme.

reported last weekend that Trump, who had said last month that North Korea’s nuclear problem was “largely solved,” was now privately expressing concern about a lack of progress on the issue. On Monday, Trump tweeted that the story was “wrong” and that he was “very happy!”</s>While several members of the media have decided President Donald Trump's negotiations with North Korea have mostly failed, new commercial satellite imagery of the Sohae Satellite Launching Station may soon have some reporters eating crow.

Images sent to CBN News by 38 North show North Korea's main satellite launch facility is starting to be dismantled.

"Commercial satellite imagery of the launch pad from July 20 shows that the rail-mounted processing/transfer structure has been moved to the middle of the pad, exposing the underground rail transfer point — one of the few times it has been seen in this location," 38 North's Joseph Bermudez Jr. stated.

Bermudez said both the roof and supporting structure have been partially removed and numerous vehicles are present—including a large construction crane.

Then images from two days later show the continued presence of the crane and vehicles.

"Considerable progress has been made in dismantling the rail-mounted processing/transfer structure. One corner has been completely dismantled and the structural members can be seen lying on the ground. In both images the two fuel/oxidizer bunkers, main processing building and gantry tower remain untouched," said Bermudez.

Just last week, President Trump said he was "very happy" with how talks were progressing with North Korea.

"A Rocket has not been launched by North Korea in 9 months. Likewise, no Nuclear Tests. Japan is happy, all of Asia is happy," Trump tweeted. "But the Fake News is saying, without ever asking me (always anonymous sources), that I am angry because it is not going fast enough. Wrong, very happy!"

Mr. Trump was likely referring to an article in The Washington Post on Sunday that claimed the president was frustrated with the lack of immediate progress.

Since the June 12 summit, the president said the North Korea nuclear threat is over and that North Korea would destroy another missile site after his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday that he and President Trump remain "upbeat about the prospects of denuclearization of North Korea" and that "progress is happening."

Regarding what the US needs to see happen going forward, Pompeo said, laughing, "It is really pretty straightforward."

Kim told both Mr. Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in that "he was prepared to denuclearize," Pompeo said.

"The scope and scale of that is agreed to," Pompeo said, adding, "The North Koreans understand what that means."

Pompeo made the remarks after he and US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, as well as with leaders from Japan, South Korea and the entire UN Security Council on Friday.

The meetings focused on what the summit means for North Korea and its nuclear weapons.

Speaking on Friday alongside Pompeo, Haley called the passing of three massive sanctions resolutions against North Korea last year a "Herculean task" that brought North Korea to the table.

"Now North Korea and the US have started to have talks," she said. "We and the Security Council and the international community have to support those talks, and the best way to support those talks is to not loosen the sanctions."
Photos taken on July 20 and 22 and published by 38 North appear to show North Korea dismantling a ballistic missile launchpad and engine testing stand at the Sohae Satellite Launching Station.