North Korea is clearing up and repairing a remote nuclear test site in Punggye-ri, which seems capable of supporting another nuclear test "at any time," according to the website 38 North.North Korean
Defense Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun here confirmed that the site at Pyungye-ri, North Hamgyong Province is being maintained "in a condition that allows another nuclear test to be conducted at short notice."
Activity has been spotted near the north entrance of the test site, where the last test was carried out, according to analysis of satellite images on March 6 and 14.
"Recent commercial satellite imagery indicates continued activity... that does not appear directed at further tunnel excavation but rather to maintain existing tunnels as well as to clean up after the January 2016 nuclear test," 38 North said.
38 North pointed to what appears to be water draining from the entrance.
"This may support the hypothesis that branching tunnels lead to other test chambers since the shaft used for the January test should have been completely sealed to prevent radioactivity leakage," 38 North said.
A rash of celebrations are coming up in the North, including regime founder Kim Il-sung’s birthday, and a party congress looms in May, which is ample motivation for the regime to show off achievements to an increasingly disaffected population.
The North recently claimed to have miniaturized a nuclear weapon so it can be mounted on a missile, and speculation here is that it will be testing the device.