North Korea 'dismantling missile site' in first steps since Trump-Kim summit, satellite images suggest

'These efforts represent a significant confidence-building measure on the part of North Korea'

Satellite image by Airbus Defense and Space and 38 North, showing the apparent dismantling of facilities at the Sohae satellite launching station, North Korea (AFP/Getty )

North Korea appears to have begun dismantling a site used to develop components for ballistic missiles, in what would be an important first step towards fulfilling the agreement made at a summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un in June.

Satellite images published by a leading think-tank on North Korea show activity at the Sohae Satellite Launching Station, located among dense forest and hills close the northern border with China.

Workers are believed to be dismantling 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.

North Korea's weapons programme was high on the agenda at a summit between Mr Trump and Mr Kim in Singapore last month. The US president later said his counterpart had promised to destroy a major missile engine testing site "very soon".

Mr Trump did not identify the site, but a US official subsequently told the Reuters news agency that it was Sohae.

"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 in a report.

The apparent progress comes amid concerns over whether North Korea would follow through with the commitments made in Singapore. The White House reportedly admitted that a subsequent trip made by Mike Pompeo to Pyongyang went "as bad as it could have".

US officials have repeatedly said North Korea has committed to giving up a nuclear weapons programme that now threatens the US, but Pyongyang has offered no details as to how it might go about this.

Satellite image from Airbus Defense and Space and 38 North, shows the apparent dismantling of facilities at the Sohae satellite launching station, North Korea (AFP/Getty ) (AFP/Getty)

Jenny Town, managing editor of 38 North, which is based at Washington's Stimson Centre, said the work at Sohae 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.

On Friday, senior US officials called on Mr Kim to act on his promise to give up his nuclear weapons and said the world, including China and Russia, must continue to enforce sanctions on Pyongyang until he does so.

And on Monday, the US State Department issued an advisory together with the departments of Treasury and Homeland Security alerting businesses to North Korea's sanctions-evasion tactics.

It said they should "implement effective due diligence policies, procedures, and internal controls to ensure compliance with applicable legal requirements across their entire supply chains."

In a tweet early on Monday, Mr Trump rejected "Fake News" that he was angry because progress was not happening fast enough with North Korea.

"Wrong, very happy!" he said in the Tweet.

"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 said.

A report in The Washington Post at the weekend said that in spite of positive assessments Trump has given on progress with North Korea, he has vented anger at aides over a lack of immediate progress.

Last week, Mr Trump said there was "no rush" and "no time limit" on denuclearisation negotiations.

US Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said on Thursday it was technically possible for North Korea to eliminate its nuclear weapons program within a year, but added that it was not likely to happen.

Additional reporting by Reuters