North Korea Dismantles Its Only Nuclear Test Site

North Korea claims to have dismantled its only nuclear test site on Thursday, May 23. At the invitation of Pyongyang, several foreign journalists have traveled to northeastern North Korea to witness the destruction of the site. Tom Cheshire, one of the invited reporters from Sky News, wrote on the network's website: "A large explosion occurred that you could feel. Dust and heat came toward us. The sound of the explosion was very loud." A news team from South Korea's Yonhap news agency, which was present at the site, reported that several explosions were heard from 11 AM to 4:17 PM. All six of North Korea's nuclear tests have been conducted at the "Punggye-ri" test site. The last nuclear test in September 2017 was claimed by Pyongyang to be a hydrogen bomb. AFP reports that experts disagree on the true intentions behind the destruction of this site. Some experts say that the site had lost its effectiveness after six tests. However, Pyongyang did not invite any international disarmament inspectors to the ceremony. According to the plan, U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un are scheduled to meet next month in Singapore. However, North Korea announced a few days ago that it would not engage in "unilateral disarmament" and that this meeting might not take place. Pyongyang has also protested against the joint military exercises of South Korea and the U.S. Recent verbal attacks between Pyongyang and Washington have increased, especially following comments by John Bolton, the U.S. National Security Advisor. On May 12, Bolton stated in a television interview that North Korea's disarmament model could resemble the "Libya model" of 2003. In 2003, Muammar Gaddafi voluntarily halted his initial nuclear program and was exempted from sanctions. Gaddafi's government was targeted by a NATO coalition in 2011, and he was ultimately killed by his opponents. Kim Kye-gwan, North Korea's Deputy Foreign Minister, expressed "disgust" in response to Bolton's comments. Bolton had argued in a February 2018 article titled "A Legal Case for Preemptive Attack on North Korea" about the necessity of a U.S. attack on North Korea.