North Korea accused of testing ICBM system and restoring nuclear test site

SEOUL/WASHINGTON: North Korea used what would be its largest ever intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system in two recent launches, and appears to be restoring some tunnels at its shuttered nuclear test site, U.S. and South Korean officials said on Friday.

The reports are the latest to suggest the country may soon follow through on threats to resume testing long-range ICBMs or nuclear weapons for the first time since 2017.

The escalation in North Korea tensions comes as South Korea on Wednesday elected a new conservative president.

Yoon Suk-yeol has said that pre-emptive strikes may be needed to counter any imminent attack by the North and has vowed to buy American THAAD missile interceptors, while remaining open to restarting stalled denuclearisation talks.

Reclusive North Korea and the affluent, democratic South are technically still at war because their 1950-53 conflict ended in a ceasefire, not a peace treaty.

South Korea’s military said on Friday it had detected unspecified activity to restore some tunnels at Punngye-ri, the North’s only known nuclear test site, which were demolished with explosives when it was closed in 2018.

Analysts say that with few details on the extent of the demolition, it is unclear how quickly the site could be used again. It is also unclear if the activity is related to a number of small natural earthquakes recently reported in the area.

In what Washington called a “serious escalation requiring a united global response”, North Korea used a huge new ICBM system in launches on Feb. 27 and March 5, according to U.S. and South Korean officials. Seoul issued a strong condemnation and urged Pyongyang to immediately stop actions that heighten tension.

“The purpose of these tests, which did not demonstrate ICBM range, was likely to evaluate this new system before conducting a test at full range in the future, potentially disguised as a space launch,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in a statement.

North Korea did not specify what missile was used, but said it tested components for reconnaissance satellites that leader Kim Jong Un said would soon be launched to monitor military activity by the United States and its allies. It says its military activities, including nuclear weapons, are its sovereign right and only for self defence. It accused the United States and its allies of threatening it with “hostile policies” such as military drills and sanctions.