January 05, 2018 10:44
Satellite images suggest that North Korea set up a makeshift assembly facility for intercontinental ballistic missiles in less than a month near Pyongyang.
The building sits in the compound of a truck factory in Pyongsong, South Pyongan Province, Voice of America reported on Wednesday.
Analysis of satellite images shot by commercial provider DigitalGlobe on Nov. 21 shows an oblong building about 35 m tall and by 15-18 m across in the center of the plant.
The North fired a Hwasong-15 missile from Pyongsong on Nov. 29, about a week after the images were shot.
But an image of the same area shot on Oct. 24 shows only a pile of what seem to be building materials, meaning it took less than a month to build the facility.
It was this speed that allowed the North to take the world by surprise with its latest missile launches.
The structure seems to be of the same shape and size as the missile assembly building at the old launch site in Tongchang-ri, an analyst said.
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