Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

North Korea readying for another nuclear test? Satellite images show hectic activity at Punggye-ri
www.ibtimes.co.uk ^ | Updated December 12, 2017 14:54 GMT | By India Ashok

Posted on 12/12/2017 9:57:07 AM PST by Red Badger

North Korea appears to be pressing ahead with its nuclear programme. Satellite images recently detected hectic activity at the North Korean nuclear test site, Punggye-ri.

Experts say that after North Korea's last nuclear test, minor tremors were detected near Mt Mantap, located close to the nuclear site. However, Pyongyang is now engaged in additional tunnel work at the site.

According to experts at 38North, a US-based think tank, the fresh activities were detected at the West Portal of the site – indicating that the site may be undergoing an expansion. Meanwhile, the North Portal, where the previous five tests were conducted, appears to have been temporarily abandoned.

"At the West Portal, there has been a consistently high level of activity since North Korea's last nuclear test. This includes a routine presence of vehicles and personnel around the portal, movement of mining carts from the portal to the adjacent spoil pile and signs of fresh spoil being dumped onto the pile," 38North experts said in a blog. "These activities suggest that tunnel excavation is underway at the West Portal, as the North Koreans expand the site's potential for future nuclear testing."

Ryan Barenklau, CEO and founder of Strategic Sentinel, a Washington-based nonpartisan geostrategic consulting agency, told IBTimes UK, "The tunneling is occurring at the West Portal and activity near that area has been relatively high for the last month. They are most likely digging deeper and expanding the complex underneath so they can continue their normal operations."

"The complex is probably unstable seeing how many tremors have been recording, forcing new tunnels to be created. The West Portal area will probably be where the next nuclear tests will be conducted if there are anymore to come."

Breanklau added that it might be a while before North Korea conducts its next nuclear test. "The last two tests were conducted one year apart. These mining operations take time and there is no telling just how badly the mountain has been damaged due to the previous tests."

Over the weekend, Strategic Sentinel tweeted that Pyongyang Radio had broadcast secret coded messages over its 6400kHz radio station. Such transmissions have previously been observed preceding major weapons tests by North Korea.

However, it remains unclear if the continuing activities at Punggye-ri and the sudden influx of coded messages being transmitted indicate that North Korea might be ready to conduct yet another major weapons test.

"Pyongyang likes to send out coded messages on the weekend, especially Saturday morning US time, and does this regularly. December 9th was one of those weekend messages," Barenklau told IBTimes UK.

"Rarely, Pyongyang will start to send them out at random times multiple times per week. That is usually indicative of a large provocation or diplomatic move, but not always. Again, we really don't know for sure what they are doing with those messages. We don't necessarily care to try and understand the messages themselves. We look for how often and when."

Update: This article has been updated to include the comments of Strategic Sentinel CEO and founder Ryan Barenklau.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; Japan; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: fatboy; kimjonun; norks; rocketboy
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-30 next last

1 posted on 12/12/2017 9:57:07 AM PST by Red Badger
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

Thanks so much for your support to this point... I personally apprecaite it...
FReepers, it's far beyond time to wrap up this FReep-a-thon.  Lets do it today.  Please chip in.


President Donald J. Trump and the Free Republic of the United States of America
President Donald J. Trump's address to the United Nations on 09/19/2017.

Ramirez political cartoon:  the Roy Moore Compass LARGE VERSION 12/11/2017: LINK  LINK to regular sized versions of his political cartoons (archive).
Garrison political cartoon:  Moore or Less LARGE VERSION 12/11/2017: LINK  LINK (scroll down) to regular sized versions of his political cartoons (archive).

Please join the monthlies, an automated and the best way to help support Free Republic.  If you opt not to join the automated monthly support program, please consider joining the One One Done project.  LINK

Click above and pencil in your donation now.
Please folks, lets end this FReepathon.  Thank you!

...this is a general all-purpose message, and should not be seen as targeting any individual I am responding to...

2 posted on 12/12/2017 9:58:47 AM PST by DoughtyOne (This forum is a Doug Jones free zone! Go Roy Moore!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

lets do nothing until the do an EMP and then we will do nothing because we cant.avert your gaze.


3 posted on 12/12/2017 10:03:42 AM PST by raiderboy ( "...if we have to close down our government, weÂ’re building that wall")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

I wonder if Rocketman has executed any political enemies yet by hand uffing them to a nuke


4 posted on 12/12/2017 10:07:05 AM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Mark my words...........oh never mind!
Gunny G @ Planet WTF!
________________________


5 posted on 12/12/2017 10:07:19 AM PST by gunnyg ("A Constitution changed from Freedom, can never be restored; Liberty, once lost, is lost forever...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Has anyone warned the NORKs that we may be nearly out of patience as long as they say the US is the target?


6 posted on 12/12/2017 10:08:59 AM PST by Rapscallion (Politics just makes us hate each other. It's un-christian and un-American)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Message Begins:
Be ready Comrades, our Glorious Leader has closed the bridge with the running-dog Chinese. Pay no attention to those rumors of refuge camps on the China border. Our All-Powerful Leader will personally light the fuse for another amazing demonstration of his super godhood under the mountain which will quiver with His might.

Message Ends.


7 posted on 12/12/2017 10:12:27 AM PST by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now it is your turn ...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Because they don’t have enough cancer and birth defects.


8 posted on 12/12/2017 10:16:33 AM PST by SpaceBar
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

That site needs to have a nuclear “accident”, with plausible deniability.


9 posted on 12/12/2017 10:16:41 AM PST by JimRed ( TERM LIMITS, NOW! Build the Wall Faster! TRUTH is the new HATE SPEECH.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: PIF

You forgot the “Drink your Ovaltine” sigh-off.


10 posted on 12/12/2017 10:18:28 AM PST by Tallguy (Twitter short-circuits common sense. Please engage your brain before tweeting.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: JimRed

No more games.

Nuke it just to prove we can and we will use them!..................


11 posted on 12/12/2017 10:19:28 AM PST by Red Badger (Road Rage lasts 5 minutes. Road Rash lasts 5 months!.....................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: raiderboy

How about letting this intra-Korean issue work itself out amongst Koreans?

Why are we on that peninsula again? Time to re-think this treaty?


12 posted on 12/12/2017 10:21:14 AM PST by Tea Party Terrorist (Why work for a living when you can vote for a living?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger; Whenifhow; null and void; aragorn; EnigmaticAnomaly; kalee; Kale; 2ndDivisionVet; ...

p


13 posted on 12/12/2017 10:23:26 AM PST by bitt (The first to squeal gets the best deal.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JimRed

Send in a Predator drone with a low yield warhead...


14 posted on 12/12/2017 10:28:31 AM PST by shotgun
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Rapscallion
Has anyone warned the NORKs that we may be nearly out of patience as long as they say the US is the target?

We're not. We will never strike first given the state of nearby Russian & China. Zero chance.
15 posted on 12/12/2017 10:30:21 AM PST by TexasGunLover ("Either you're with us or you're with the terrorists."-- President George W. Bush)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: TexasGunLover

I agree. We will only move if there is a direct action or a miserable mishap.

As tough as Trump is talking, the US is not ready for another winter war in Korea. Or a war anywhere at this point.


16 posted on 12/12/2017 10:31:51 AM PST by Vermont Lt (Burn. It. Down.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: DoughtyOne
"At the West Portal, there has been a consistently high level of activity since North Korea's last nuclear test. This includes a routine presence of vehicles and personnel around the portal, movement of mining carts from the portal to the adjacent spoil pile and signs of fresh spoil being dumped onto the pile," 38North experts said in a blog. "These activities suggest that tunnel excavation is underway at the West Portal, as the North Koreans expand the site's potential for future nuclear testing."

We're not dropping a MOAB or some other massive ordinance on this site right now exactly why?

17 posted on 12/12/2017 10:34:17 AM PST by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Vermont Lt
As tough as Trump is talking, the US is not ready for another winter war in Korea. Or a war anywhere at this point.

I agree 100%.
18 posted on 12/12/2017 10:34:25 AM PST by TexasGunLover ("Either you're with us or you're with the terrorists."-- President George W. Bush)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Tea Party Terrorist
"Why are we on that peninsula again? Time to re-think this treaty?"

Again?? Check your history, dude. We never left.

19 posted on 12/12/2017 10:36:38 AM PST by Wonder Warthog (The Hog of Steel and NRA Life Member)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Tea Party Terrorist

Time to preempt a man who vows to obliterate us. Why are we waiting for him to kill 95 million before we wish we could respond. 95 million die in an EMP and we are back in the stone age so lets just wait and talk about how our faithful ally, China, who doesnt give a damned what happens.


20 posted on 12/12/2017 10:40:29 AM PST by raiderboy ( "...if we have to close down our government, weÂ’re building that wall")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-30 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson