North Korea’s decision to close down its Punggye-ri nuclear weapons testing site is being met with mixed reactions from the South Korean political arena.
On Saturday, North Korea announced that the site would be shut down between May 23 and 25, and media outlets from South Korea, China, Russia, the UK and the US would be invited to witness the event.
Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom holds a briefing on North Korea’s decision to disable its Punggye-ri nuclear facility, in Seoul on Sunday. Yonhap
South Korea’s presidential office welcomed the announcement, saying that Pyongyang was taking actions
“It is an expression of will to fulfill the promise made at the inter-Korean summit not with words but with actions,” Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said, adding that he hopes the development will help Pyongyang and Washington build trust ahead of the US-North Korea summit.
US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are set to meet in Singapore on June 12 for the first-ever US-North Korea summit.
“Inviting journalists from many countries holds significance in that the closure of the nuclear test site is being transparently revealed to the international society,” said Kim Eui-kyeom.
The South’s ruling Democratic Party also welcoming the development, saying that it will enable North Korea to gain credibility internationally.
In contrast, the main opposition Liberty Korea Party downplayed the significance of the decision, once again accusing North Korea of staging a “show.”
The hard-line conservative party has branded the Moon Jae-in government’s efforts to engage North Korea, including the April 27 inter-Korean summit, as a “show of false peace.”
“North Korea has deceived the world once with the cooling tower explosion show,” Liberty Korea Party Chairman Hong Joon-pyo wrote on his social media account Sunday.
Hong was referring to North Korea’s demolition of a cooling tower at the Yongbyon nuclear facility in 2008.
Hong’s post goes on to say that North Korea is planning another “show,” calling for pressure to be maintained on the North’s regime.
“The issue is the scrapping of existing nuclear (weapons). At a time (when North Korea) is claiming completion of nuclear (weapons), closing the nuclear testing facility does not have much significance.”
By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)