Remember that really great summit Trump had with Kim Jong-un in Singapore last month? The one that went really well and totally saved the world and all that? Well, it might not have been as good as Trump claimed. I know, I know, shocking.
That’s because according to The Washington Post, North Korea has continued to build new ballistic missiles despite Trump claiming Kim had pledged to denuclearize. They cited unnamed US officials who said spy satellites had spotted activity.
“We see them going to work, just as before,” one US official said.
Satellite images appeared to show one or two liquid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) being built at a large facility on the outskirts of the capital Pyongyang, called Sanumdong. It suggests North Korea is continuing to work on advanced weaponry, seeking to cement itself as a nuclear power rather than completely disarm.
This factory has already produced two of North Korea’s ICBMs, including the one that could supposedly strike the US East Coast – the Hwasong-15. At least one of the new missiles is another one of these.
However, officials did note to the Washington Post that another launch facility – the Sohae Satellite Launching Station on the West Coast – was being partially dismantled. Some have regarded that as purely symbolic, noting it could easily be rebuilt.
This is not the first sign that Trump’s summit with Kim was practically meaningless. In late June, after it had taken place, US officials said North Korea appeared to have increased production of fuel for nuclear weapons.
A US official noted to Reuters that this recent activity suggests North Korea may be looking to improve their missiles. “They seem to have figured out the engines, but not all the higher-tech stuff, and that might be what this is about,” they said.
“What’s more, a liquid-fueled ICBM doesn’t pose nearly the threat that a solid-fueled one would because they take so long to fuel, and that’s something we almost certainly could see in time to abort a launch, given our assets in the vicinity.”
