North Korea reneges on US deal; move forward with missile expansion plans at 16 secret sites

New satellite images showing that North Korea has continued to move forward with upgrading its ballistic missile program at 16 secret sites, suggest that the nation led by Kim Jong Un has reneged on its denuclearization deal with the US.

The latest satellite images come a week after the US pulled out of a top-level negotiation between US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and North Korean representative Kim Yong Chol.

Earlier, North Korea appeared to uphold its end of the bargain by decommissioning one missile launch facility – the latest satellite images, though, suggest that North Korea has played the US once again.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies noted: “North Korea’s decommissioning of the Sohae satellite launch facility, while gaining much media attention, obscures the military threat to U.S. forces and South Korea from this and other undeclared ballistic missile bases.”

US publication, The Daily Beast, reported: “The development suggests North Korea’s promise to shut down one major test site was an attempted deception.”

Although it is too early to tell whether the US-North Korea denclearization deal – that was struck up after an unprecedented meeting in Singapore in July between US President Donald Trump and Kim – was a complete failure, it certainly appears as though North Korea has deceived the US once again.