News
Latest News
news bulletin
Breaking Headlines
Israel-Gaza War Updates
Variety and Tech
Sports News
Middle East News
World News
Lebanon News
Press Highlights
Lebanon Economy
News Bulletin Reports
Other News
Breaking Headlines
Israel-Gaza War Updates
Variety and Tech
Sports News
Middle East News
World News
Lebanon News
Press Highlights
Lebanon Economy
News Bulletin Reports
Beirut
19
o
Mount Lebanon
20
o
Metn
21
o
Keserwan
21
o
North
20
o
South
19
o
Bekaa
16
o
Live
Video
Audio
Schedule
shows
العربية
watching now
The Stage
SUBSCRIBE
Home
Notification
Live
Video
Audio
shows
Beirut
19
o
Mount Lebanon
20
o
Metn
21
o
Keserwan
21
o
North
20
o
South
19
o
Bekaa
16
o
News
Programs
The News
Breaking Headlines
Israel-Gaza War Updates
Variety and Tech
Sports News
Middle East News
World News
Lebanon News
Press Highlights
Lebanon Economy
News Bulletin Reports
Programs
Documentaries
Lebanon’s Centennial
News Bulletin
The Untold History
Talk Show
Series
Sports
Variety
Other
Comedy
Oldies
Breaking News
Latest News
Highlighted News
Most Read
Videos
العربية
Watch the latest programs and the latest developments on your favorite screen
Shows
Join millions of followers
Who We Are
Contact Us
Advertise With Us
Careers
Channel frequencies
Privacy Policy
Terms and Conditions
REPORT: North Korea says will stop nuclear tests, scrap test site
Author:
Rita Khoury
Breaking Headlines
2018-04-21 | 08:55
High views
Share
Share
REPORT: North Korea says will stop nuclear tests, scrap test site
Watch now
More details about online video viewing packages
7
min
REPORT: North Korea says will stop nuclear tests, scrap test site
North Korea will immediately suspend nuclear and missile tests and scrap its nuclear test site and instead pursue economic growth and peace, the North's state media said on Saturday, ahead of planned summits with South Korea and the United States.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country no longer needed to conduct nuclear tests or intercontinental ballistic missile tests because it had completed its goal of developing the weapons, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.
It was the first time Kim directly addressed his position on North Korea's nuclear weapons programmes ahead of planned summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in next week and with U.S. President Donald Trump in late May or early June.
The pledge to halt the development of nuclear weapons, initiated by his grandfather, would mean a significant reversal for the young leader, now 34, who has staked his security on his nuclear arsenal and spent years celebrating such weapons as an integral part of his regimes legitimacy and power.
A testing freeze and commitment to close the test site alone would fall short of Washington's demand that Pyongyang completely dismantle all of its nuclear weapons and missiles.
But announcing the concessions now, rather than during summit meetings, shows Kim is serious about denuclearisation talks, experts say.
"The northern nuclear test ground of the DPRK will be dismantled to transparently guarantee the discontinuance of the nuclear test," KCNA said after Kim convened a plenary session of the Central Committee of the ruling Worker's Party on Friday.
The North's official name is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
The Pyunggye-ri site is North Korea's only known nuclear test site, where all of its six underground tests were conducted, including the last and largest in September.
Trump welcomed the statement and said he looked forward to a summit with Kim.
"North Korea has agreed to suspend all Nuclear Tests and close up a major test site. This is very good news for North Korea and the World - big progress! Look forward to our Summit," Trump said on Twitter.
South Korea said the North's decision signified "meaningful" progress toward denuclearisation of the peninsula and would create favourable conditions for successful meetings with it and the United States.
China, North Korea's sole major ally which has nevertheless been frustrated by its defiant development of weapons, welcomed the announcement saying it would ease tension and promote denuclearisation.
"The Chinese side believes that North Korea's decision will help ameliorate the situation on the peninsula," a foreign ministry spokesman, Lu Kang, said in a statement.
CAUTIOUS WELCOME
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also welcomed the North Korean statement but said it must lead to action.
"What's important is that this leads to complete, verifiable denuclearisation. I want to emphasise this," Abe told reporters.
The United States, Japan and South Korea have historically been the main targets of North Korea's anger.
Australia and Britain were also cautious.
The British government said in a statement that Pyongyang's commitment was a positive step and hoped it indicated "an effort to negotiate in good faith".
Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said "verifiable steps" would be needed to ensure testing had indeed been halted.
"We're all looking for evidence that Kim is really serious about negotiations, and announcements like this certainly suggest he is, and that he is trying to make clear to the world that he is," said David Wright, co-director of the Global Security Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists.
North Korea has said its nuclear and missile programmes are necessary deterrents against U.S. hostility. It has conducted numerous missile tests with the aim of being able to hit the United States with a nuclear bomb.
The tests and escalating rhetoric between Trump and Kim raised fears of war until, in a New Year's speech, the North Korean leader called for a reduction in military tensions.
He sent a delegation to the Winter Olympics in the South in February, leading to that in ties with his old enemies.
Nam Sung-wook, professor of North Korean Studies at Korea University in Seoul, said it was "sensational" that Kim had personally declared plans to suspend nuclear development, but added that his remarks left questions.
"It still does not seem clear if it means whether the North will just not pursue further development of its nuclear programs in the future, or whether they will completely shut down 'all' nuclear facilities. And what are they going to do with their existing nuclear weapons?" Nam said.
Many U.S. officials and experts doubt Kim's sincerity about denuclearising, viewing the recent flurry of diplomacy as a ploy to win relief from economic sanctions.
U.N. Security Council sanctions imposed on North Korea after its first nuclear test in 2006 and extended over the past decade have aimed to deny it a considerable amount of international trade, banning critical exports such as coal, iron ore, seafood and textiles, while limiting oil imports.
That has threatened the policy of "byungjin" - simultaneous military and economic development - that Kim has adopted since taking power in 2011.
"Easing tensions and cooperating with the international community is critical if Kim wanted to advance the economy," said Cheong Seong-chang, a senior fellow at the Sejong Institute think-tank south of Seoul.
Koh Yu-hwan, professor of North Korean Studies at Dongguk University in Seoul, said he did not believe Pyongyang was ready to give up its nuclear weapons.
"Kim is just saying that now that the nuclear development is complete, he will put all the efforts toward building an economy," Koh said.
REUTERS
To watch the full report, please click on the video above.
Breaking Headlines
North Korea
Missile
Next
Grand Mufti Derian travels to Saudi Arabia for Hajj
Recommended For You
d-none hideMe
0
Lebanon News
2024-04-17
Israeli warplanes strike agricultural land near Baalbek: Three missiles launched
Lebanon News
2024-04-17
Israeli warplanes strike agricultural land near Baalbek: Three missiles launched
0
Middle East News
2024-04-16
Israeli army detects missile launches from Lebanon
Middle East News
2024-04-16
Israeli army detects missile launches from Lebanon
0
Lebanon News
2024-04-16
Breaking: Car targeted on Al-Majbal road in Ain Baal
Lebanon News
2024-04-16
Breaking: Car targeted on Al-Majbal road in Ain Baal
0
Middle East News
2024-04-15
Israeli response to Iranian attack expected soon: Israeli Broadcasting Corporation
Middle East News
2024-04-15
Israeli response to Iranian attack expected soon: Israeli Broadcasting Corporation
Subscribe to our VOD
SUBSCRIBE
Our visitors readings
d-none hideMe
0
World News
08:36
Polish Airline cancels Friday flights to Tel Aviv and Beirut
World News
08:36
Polish Airline cancels Friday flights to Tel Aviv and Beirut
0
News Bulletin Reports
2023-11-01
The Tunnel War: Israel's Escalating Conflict in Gaza and Beyond
News Bulletin Reports
2023-11-01
The Tunnel War: Israel's Escalating Conflict in Gaza and Beyond
0
Israel-Gaza War Updates
2024-03-20
Saudi Arabia to boost UNRWA funding by $40 million for Gaza relief
Israel-Gaza War Updates
2024-03-20
Saudi Arabia to boost UNRWA funding by $40 million for Gaza relief
0
Lebanon News
2024-04-13
Lebanon temporarily closes airspace from 1:00 AM to 7:00 AM, subject to review amid regional developments
Lebanon News
2024-04-13
Lebanon temporarily closes airspace from 1:00 AM to 7:00 AM, subject to review amid regional developments
Videos
d-none hideMe
0
Lebanon News
2023-12-11
Breaking: Israel launches raid north of Litani on Monday (Video)
Lebanon News
2023-12-11
Breaking: Israel launches raid north of Litani on Monday (Video)
0
Lebanon News
2023-11-02
Exclusive to LBCI: U.S. State Department's Wooster Stresses Lebanon Must Avoid War, Sees Renewed Push for Two-State Solution
Lebanon News
2023-11-02
Exclusive to LBCI: U.S. State Department's Wooster Stresses Lebanon Must Avoid War, Sees Renewed Push for Two-State Solution
0
Lebanon News
2023-10-18
Protests Erupt near US Embassy in Awkar Against Israeli Attacks on Al-Maamadani Hospital in Gaza
Lebanon News
2023-10-18
Protests Erupt near US Embassy in Awkar Against Israeli Attacks on Al-Maamadani Hospital in Gaza
0
Lebanon News
2023-10-05
ATFL's Ambassador Edward Gabriel on Navigating Through Economic, Political, and Refugee Crises
Lebanon News
2023-10-05
ATFL's Ambassador Edward Gabriel on Navigating Through Economic, Political, and Refugee Crises
0
Sports News
2023-08-31
Amir Saoud Powers Lebanon to Victory Over Cote d'Ivoire: A Deep Dive Into The Numbers
Sports News
2023-08-31
Amir Saoud Powers Lebanon to Victory Over Cote d'Ivoire: A Deep Dive Into The Numbers
0
Sports News
2023-08-29
France Edges Past Lebanon in a Nail-Biter at FIBA World Cup 2023: A Statistical Deep Dive
Sports News
2023-08-29
France Edges Past Lebanon in a Nail-Biter at FIBA World Cup 2023: A Statistical Deep Dive
0
Lebanon News
2019-02-28
Pierre el-Daher, the man who defeated the Lebanese Forces
Lebanon News
2019-02-28
Pierre el-Daher, the man who defeated the Lebanese Forces
Most read
d-none hideMe
24 hours
7 days
Month
1
Middle East News
00:06
Israeli missiles hit site in Iran, ABC News reports
Middle East News
00:06
Israeli missiles hit site in Iran, ABC News reports
2
Middle East News
01:45
Israeli airstrikes target military site in southern Syria
Middle East News
01:45
Israeli airstrikes target military site in southern Syria
3
Middle East News
00:21
No missile attack against Iran, Reuters source says
Middle East News
00:21
No missile attack against Iran, Reuters source says
4
World News
08:36
Polish Airline cancels Friday flights to Tel Aviv and Beirut
World News
08:36
Polish Airline cancels Friday flights to Tel Aviv and Beirut
5
Middle East News
02:56
Iranian official: There is no plan for an immediate response to Israel
Middle East News
02:56
Iranian official: There is no plan for an immediate response to Israel
6
Lebanon News
05:21
MEA adjusts Dubai flight schedule amidst storm recovery
Lebanon News
05:21
MEA adjusts Dubai flight schedule amidst storm recovery
7
Middle East News
00:14
Israeli army refuses to comment on reports of explosions in Iran and strikes in Syria
Middle East News
00:14
Israeli army refuses to comment on reports of explosions in Iran and strikes in Syria
8
Lebanon News
09:00
General Aoun meets French and Italian Army Commanders: Formation of joint committee to study Lebanese Army needs, especially in South Lebanon
Lebanon News
09:00
General Aoun meets French and Italian Army Commanders: Formation of joint committee to study Lebanese Army needs, especially in South Lebanon
Download now the LBCI mobile app
To see the latest news, the latest daily programs in Lebanon and the world
Google Play
App Store
We use
cookies
We use
cookies
to make
your experience on this
website better.
Accept
Learn More