Volleyball Games At North Korea Nuke Test Site: Monitor

Adjust Comment Print

Figure 2. Several unidentified objects and activities observed at the Main Administrative Area.

The images, taken Sunday by satellite company Digitalglobe and later released by the independent North Korea monitoring project 38 North, appeared to show groups of people playing volleyball at three separate locations at the secretive nuclear facility.

The Punggye-ri site is located in a mountainous region in the north-east.

"It suggests that the facility might be going into a standby mode", Joseph Bermudez told reporters on a conference call organized by 38 North, a research institute at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

No significant activity was detected at the West Portal and South Portal, or at the Command Center Area, it added.

The volleyball games were spotted just a day after missiles were put on display in Pyongyang in a giant show of military force for all the world to see.

While the exact status of the test site is still unclear, experts noted the North Koreans no longer appeared to pumping water out of the tunnels used to test weapons while the vehicles and trailers near the tunnel's entrances have been moved, the Washington Post reported.

Pressure on Caps to come back vs. Leafs
But failing to score with almost two full minutes of a 5-on-3 advantage seemed to boring any comeback chances. Williams, would then proceed to tie the game with his second goal of the night at the 16:00 of the second.

Since 2008, photographer Eric Lafforgue ventured to North Korea six times.

"Regardless, satellite imagery continues to indicate that the Punggye-ri nuclear test site appears able to conduct a sixth nuclear test at any time once the order is received from Pyongyang", it said.

North Korea carried out a missile test last Sunday, but it was considered a failure, with the projectile exploding immediately after liftoff.

A possible volleyball net seen in the command centre area.

"It will completely and immediately wipe out not only United States imperalists' invasion forces in South Korea and its surrounding areas, but the USA mainland and reduce them to ashes", the newspaper wrote, as reported by Reuters.

Russian Federation has denied blocking a UN Security Council condemnation of the North Korea's latest missile test, accusing the USA of breaking off talks on a statement in an "abrupt manner". Still, the games aren't new: Per the 38 North report, "Personnel playing volleyball at the Punggye-ri nuclear test facility have also been identified on a number of occasions as far back as 2006 prior to the first nuclear test and more recently in February".

Comments