South Korea intelligence officials report that North Korea is plowing a new underground tunnel in what appears as a preparation for a third nuclear test. In a report written by South Korean intelligence officials and shared with the Associated Press on Monday, it says recent satellite photos show piles of dirt near the newly excavated tunnel’s entrance. The report also says the excavation at the North’s northeast Punggye-ri site is in its final stages. Before a nuclear test, dirt is needed to fill up the underground tunnels, experts say.
The release of South Korean reports comes as North Korea prepares to fire a long-range rocket on April 12-16 that the District of Columbia and others report is a cover for testing missile technology that could be used to fire on the United States. North Korean space officials have moved all three stages of the rocket into position and declared on Sunday to proceed with their plan in defiance of the international communities’ condemnation against violating a ban on missile activity.
