Nuclear Dismantlement

[Anchor Lead]

Meanwhile, a group of foreign journalists excluding South Korean reporters arrived in Wonsan, North Korea on Tuesday to cover the dismantlement of North Korea's nuclear testing site. But after a last minute change in its stance, Pyongyang has approved a list of South Korean journalists to join the group of reporters. Take a look.

[Pkg]

Some 20 foreign journalists from the U.S., UK, China and Russia, which North Korea invited to cover the dismantling of its nuclear test site, left Beijing and arrived in the North's northeast city of Wonsan. A reporter from British Sky News tweeted that the journalists were to depart for the Punggye-ri test site on a special train Tuesday evening but that it was delayed due to the weather. The distance from Wonsan to Punggye-ri is 270 kilometers by rail. The foreign journalists need to take the train and bus and also travel on foot. They say it will take some 16 to 18 hours. The Seoul government said Wednesday that it notified North Korea of the list of eight South Korean reporters to cover the nuclear test site dismantlement, and that the North has accepted it. The Unification Ministry added it will swiftly take necessary measures including approval of the journalists' cross-border visit and supporting their travel to the North. The South Korean journalists can travel to Wonsan via a direct inter-Korean route that was previously used for cross-border visits during the PyeongChang Olympics in February. Meanwhile the Max Thunder joint air drills between South Korea and the U.S., which Pyongyang has taken issue with, are scheduled to end on Friday.