SATELLITE IMAGES OF NORTH'S MISSILE BASE

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Satellite images of the North's missile base in Chagang-do Province have been disclosed. The images from the U.S. Center For Strategic and International Studies show a missile base in the border area between North Korea and China and looks to station ICBMs. This comes as top diplomats of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan are set to meet this week to discuss North Korea's nuclear issue.

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North Korea's missile base in Hoejung-ni, Chagang-do Province, some 340 km from the DMZ, has been disclosed. The CSIS disclosed the recent images of the base covered with snow and trees. It says it "likely houses a regiment-sized unit equipped with intercontinental ballistic missiles." The center believes the base has prime conditions for stationing ICBMs, as it was built just recently. The CSIS added if no ICBMs are deployed in the short term, mid-range missiles, identical to those that were fired from Chagang-do Province on Jan. 30, could be deployed instead. The Hoejung-ri missile base drew attention in 2018 when CNN reported about it as a base for launching ICBMs. CIA images taken in 1974 show it as a rogue mountainous area. But in 2010 signs of construction of underground missile storage and drive-through missile checkout facilities were captured. The base is located just 25 km from China. Experts say the location was chosen to make strikes by South Korea and the U.S. difficult because of the risk of hitting Chinese territory. With tensions running high due to Pyongyang's recent slew of missile tests, the U.S. State Department says North Korea missile response will top the agenda of this week's meetings among South Korean, U.S. and Japanese diplomats and chief nuclear envoys.