Video footage released of Punggye-ri nuclear test site demolition
- 6 years ago
풍계리 핵 실험장 폭파 그림 원산에서 송출, 공개
The journalists from various countries invited to witness the destruction of North Korea's key nuclear test site returned to the press center in Wonsan.
Meaning access to internet again, and the video footage of the process... is revealed to the world.
Lee Ji-won has the highlights of the event designed to display the regime's willingness to denuclearize
North Korea's Punggye-ri nuclear test site, in the country's northeastern Hamgyongbuk-do Province, became a thing of the past on Thursday.
After a long, arduous journey, the reporters were taken close to the North Portal, also known as tunnel number 2 -- the place where the regime has conducted most of its nuclear tests, from the second one to the sixth.
There they were briefed by the Deputy Chair of the North's Nuclear Weapons Institute, Kang Kyung-ho.
Kang said preparations to shut the site had been made after plans for its closure were announced two weeks ago.
The regime, he said, had halted building work,... and removed cables, test equipment and pipes.
The only stage left was for the reporters to witness the demolition of the tunnels and remaining facilities.
And at 11 a.m., the North Portal was blown up.
The first blast destroyed the entrance to it, sending rocks and soil flying. Then inside the tunnel there were more explosions... as if to assure the reporters that everything inside the portal had been destroyed.
Soon, another blast destroyed an observation building near the entrance.
A second round of explosions took place at 2:17 p.m., starting at the West Portal, known as tunnel number 4, and then at nearby living quarters thirty minutes later.
A thundering explosion, and all that was left of the building was rubble and dust.
The third round of explosions took place slightly past 4 in the afternoon, destroying the last remaining tunnel, number 3,... also known as the South Portal.
15 minutes later, a military barracks was also blown up.
Once the explosions were over, Deputy Chair Kang officially declared the test site closed.
"The Democratic People's Republic of Korea's Nuclear Weapons Institute held a ceremony that completely demolished the northern nuclear test site on May 24th, 2018 to transparently show our willingness to cease nuclear testing. By blowing up the tunnels, we completely blocked the entrances to them, as well as a number of security facilities and observation buildings. There were no radiation leaks nor was there any fundamental impact on the surrounding environment."
He added that the cessation of nuclear tests is an important step in the world's nuclear disarmament and that the North will continue working together with people of peace to build a nuclear-free, peaceful world.
The ceremony wrapped up at around 5 p.m., Thursday evening. And at 7p.m., the international reporters started on the long trip back to their hotel in Wonsan, where they are now.
They fly back to Beijing on Saturday.
South Korea's fore
The journalists from various countries invited to witness the destruction of North Korea's key nuclear test site returned to the press center in Wonsan.
Meaning access to internet again, and the video footage of the process... is revealed to the world.
Lee Ji-won has the highlights of the event designed to display the regime's willingness to denuclearize
North Korea's Punggye-ri nuclear test site, in the country's northeastern Hamgyongbuk-do Province, became a thing of the past on Thursday.
After a long, arduous journey, the reporters were taken close to the North Portal, also known as tunnel number 2 -- the place where the regime has conducted most of its nuclear tests, from the second one to the sixth.
There they were briefed by the Deputy Chair of the North's Nuclear Weapons Institute, Kang Kyung-ho.
Kang said preparations to shut the site had been made after plans for its closure were announced two weeks ago.
The regime, he said, had halted building work,... and removed cables, test equipment and pipes.
The only stage left was for the reporters to witness the demolition of the tunnels and remaining facilities.
And at 11 a.m., the North Portal was blown up.
The first blast destroyed the entrance to it, sending rocks and soil flying. Then inside the tunnel there were more explosions... as if to assure the reporters that everything inside the portal had been destroyed.
Soon, another blast destroyed an observation building near the entrance.
A second round of explosions took place at 2:17 p.m., starting at the West Portal, known as tunnel number 4, and then at nearby living quarters thirty minutes later.
A thundering explosion, and all that was left of the building was rubble and dust.
The third round of explosions took place slightly past 4 in the afternoon, destroying the last remaining tunnel, number 3,... also known as the South Portal.
15 minutes later, a military barracks was also blown up.
Once the explosions were over, Deputy Chair Kang officially declared the test site closed.
"The Democratic People's Republic of Korea's Nuclear Weapons Institute held a ceremony that completely demolished the northern nuclear test site on May 24th, 2018 to transparently show our willingness to cease nuclear testing. By blowing up the tunnels, we completely blocked the entrances to them, as well as a number of security facilities and observation buildings. There were no radiation leaks nor was there any fundamental impact on the surrounding environment."
He added that the cessation of nuclear tests is an important step in the world's nuclear disarmament and that the North will continue working together with people of peace to build a nuclear-free, peaceful world.
The ceremony wrapped up at around 5 p.m., Thursday evening. And at 7p.m., the international reporters started on the long trip back to their hotel in Wonsan, where they are now.
They fly back to Beijing on Saturday.
South Korea's fore