INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightAFPImage caption
Sohae has been the site of North Korea's controversial satellite launches
New satellite images of North Korea suggest it is restoring a rocket launch site it had pledged to dismantle, say analysts
The images were taken two days after talks between the leaders of the US and North Korea ended without them reaching a deal on
denuclearisation.The Tongchang-ri site has been used for satellite launches and engine testing, never for ballistic missile launches.Work to
dismantle it began last year but stopped as the US talks stalled
The pledge to dismantle it had been seen as a confidence-building measure between Pyongyang and Washington
Meanwhile, the US has warned North Korea could face yet more sanctions should Pyongyang not take steps to denuclearise
Image copyrightReutersImage caption
Satellite pictures show the site has been rebuilt
The satellite
evidence, coming from several US think tanks and testimony from the South Korean intelligence service, appears to show rapid progress has
been made in rebuilding structures on the rocket launch pad at the Sohae site at Tongchang-ri.Sohae has been North Korea's main satellite
launch facility since 2012
It has also been used for testing engines for missiles capable of reaching the US.But it has never been used for testing the ballistic
missiles which have been considered so provocative
"This distinction is important," Jenny Town, managing editor of monitoring group 38 North, told the TheIndianSubcontinent
"The North Koreans likely see the rebuilding not as an active part of their missile program, but of their civilian space programme - a
distinction they have made repeatedly in the past."One would assume, the rebuilding of these structures signals a diminished lack of trust
in the process," said Ms Town
Analysis: Kim 'testing Trump's patience'Laura Bicker, TheIndianSubcontinent News, SeoulThis is indeed worth watching and the rebuilding
work does ends a rather ominous signal
But I'm always cautious of extrapolating meaning from satellite images
We cannot make assumptions about what is being discussed in the corridors of power in Pyongyang based on building work at a remote satellite
launch station.This renewed activity may be Pyongyang's way of prodding Washington, just a little reminder to the Trump administration that
it has the technology to build weapons and it will not give that up easily
Most analysts believe it is more likely, at this stage, that Mr Kim is testing Mr Trump's boundaries and patience, rather than getting ready
to test a ballistic missile
If North Korea did go further than rebuilding a rocket test stand, and broke its pledge to stop testing missiles, it would risk the wrath of
an unpredictable US president
The impoverished state could be slapped with even more economic sanctions
Mr Kim has sold these denuclearisation talks at home, and is cultivating his statesman-like image abroad - is he really ready to put that
all at riskThreats of more sanctionsThe second summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ended last week
in Hanoi without any deal or agreement.Image copyrightReutersImage caption
The Hanoi talks were all smiles but little
results
The two leaders were unable to agree on how far North Korea should progress with denuclearisation before it was
granted some sanctions relief
In a television interview on Tuesday, US National Security Adviser John Bolton said North Korea could yet face more sanctions
He said Washington would continue to watch whether Pyongyang was committed to giving up its nuclear weapons programme "and everything
associated with it"."If they're not willing to do it, then I think President Trump has been very clear
They're not going to get relief from the crushing economic sanctions that have been imposed on them and we'll look at ramping those
sanctions up in fact." Observers, though, warn that adding fresh sanctions could completely stall the peace efforts
"North Korea always reacts to the imposition of more sanctions in the same way: defiantly," Ms Town said
"Imposing new sanctions now is only going to deflate whatever political will there may be to keep negotiating."
