US President Donald Trump reacted calmly to a report on allegedly secret missile bases in North Korea. „We know all about the bases mentioned, nothing new – and nothing extraordinary happens,“ he wrote yesterday in the short message service Twitter. „I’ll be the first to let you know when things get worse,“ he added. The government in South Korea also said the bases were known for years.
US Institute reports from unknown bases
On Monday, the US Institute for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) wrote in a report from at least 13 previously unknown rocket bases in North Korea. Mobile, atomically equipped rockets could be stored there, it was said. According to CSIS, underground bases throughout the country are located in narrow mountain valleys. They are built so that mobile rocket launcher can be quickly brought out of tunnels and transported to launch sites, says the study.
A detailed base is reported to be only 135 kilometers northwest of South Korea’s capital Seoul. The results of the study are based on the analysis of satellite images as well as conversations with defectors, intelligence agents and government officials.
US demands nuclear disarmament of North Korea
The US demands complete nuclear disarmament from North Korea. Trump is seeking further talks following a summit meeting with North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un in June. However, a meeting scheduled last week by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo with senior North Korean representatives had been canceled by Pyongyang at short notice.
