SONG BOH???? Kim Bui Bui still upgrading nuclear reactor, pinky wasted 16 million of our money on him for nothing!!!!

[Johnrambo]

North Korea has continued to upgrade its only known nuclear reactor used to fuel its weapons program, satellite imagery has shown, despite ongoing negotiations with the US and a pledge to denuclearise.

Infrastructure improvements at the Yongbyon nuclear plant are “continuing at a rapid pace”, according to an analysis by monitoring group 38 North of commercial satellite images taken on 21 June.

More at https://tinyurI.com/yd7knj4t

 

[Sir_Fcuk]

Its a nuclear power station to give heat to the poor kimchi girls who need warmth during winter

 

[ginfreely]

It’s ok lah they will keep Malaysia in check. We go friend with NK and straight away they will offer water for free.

 

[ginfreely]

It’s ok lah they will keep Malaysia in check. We go friend with NK and straight away they will offer water for free.

Can we go self claim to be North Korea’s friend or better still long lost brother to get free water from Malaysia? Or at least get Malaysia to follow their agreement hahahahaha

 

[Hypocrite-The]

North Korea improving nuclear facility despite Kim Jong-un's pledge, satellite images show
By Mary Lloyd
Posted about 5 hours ago

PHOTO: Operations continue at the uranium enrichment plant. (Supplied: 38 North)
RELATED STORY: Kim Jong-un is a 'trustworthy' person, says South Korean ambassador
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RELATED STORY: These are the 'war games' that Donald Trump is pledging to stop
Satellite images show improvements have continued at a North Korean nuclear facility, even though leader Kim Jong-un recently made commitments to dismantle the country's nuclear program.

Three researchers from 38 North, which closely follows North Korean affairs, said in a recent report that developments appear to be continuing "at a rapid pace" at the Yongbyon Nuclear Research Facility.

Jenny Town@j3nnyt0wn
https://twitter.com/j3nnyt0wn/status/1011780442423545856

Infrastructure improvements continue at Yongbyon; underscores reason why an actual deal is necessary, not just a statement of lofty goals.
38 North@38NorthNK

Commercial satellite imagery from June 21 indicates that improvements to the infrastructure at North Korea’s Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center are continuing at a rapid pace. https://www.38north.org/2018/06/yongbyon062618/ …
9:17 AM - Jun 27, 2018

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However, they said it is hard to determine whether some key pieces of infrastructure are operational.

On June 12, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un met US President Donald Trump in Singapore, where they signed a broad agreement to denuclearise the Korean Peninsula.

Jenny Town, managing editor of 38 North, wrote on Twitter that the improvements seen at the nuclear site show why a concrete deal was needed instead of a "statement of lofty goals".

Changes the analysts noted in the photos taken on June 21 include completed modifications to the cooling system at one of the facility's reactors, newly erected buildings on the site and depleted coal bins.

The authors of the report caution that continued work at the nuclear facility is not necessarily related to North Korea's pledge to denuclearise.

Read the document in full

The statement details the two leaders' plans to cooperate on denuclearisation and peace on the Peninsula.


"The North's nuclear cadre can be expected to proceed with business as usual until specific orders are issued from Pyongyang," the report said.

The images of the cooling system at Yongbyon's 5 MWe reactor show that improvements, which started in March, now appear to be complete.

When signs of a major excavation appeared in earlier satellite images of the site, the analysts at 38 North concluded that improvements were being made to the reactor's water cooling system so that the facility could operate more continuously and more safely.

The most current images now indicate a full water channel and possibly a weir to control water flow, as well as a new pump house.

Although the equipment appears to be discharging a smaller amount of water than previously, the report said it is hard to conclude from this whether the reactor is fully operational or not.

PHOTO: A satellite image shows the overview of the 5 MWe reactor. (Supplied: 38 North)


"It may simply be that this is all the water needed at this time to carry away the heat from the residual radioactivity in the reactor, if the reactor is currently shut down," the report said.

According to 38 North, there is no evidence to suggest that operations have begun at this facility, but from the satellite images it appears that the necessary infrastructure for the reactor to operate is now complete.

'War games' explained

The decision to stop war games between the United States and South Korea has analysts worldwide divided — but what are they exactly, and why are they such a point of contention?


A new small building has been completed at the site. It is of similar construction to one at the radiochemical laboratory, and does not appear to be industrial in design, so could serve a hospitality function for senior officials.

Water is now visible in a sluiceway that diverts part of the Kuryong River for use in the cooling systems of the Yongbyon reactors, and the reservoir that provides the water appears to be at the level it was designed for.

There is no visible vapor coming from the cooling towers at this facility, so the 38 North report said it is hard to tell whether the plant is operational.

"There is no visible evidence yet to suggest that operations have begun," the report said.

However, the movement of vehicles around the site, which separates plutonium from spent fuel from the 5 MWe reactor, does suggest it is active.

The new images show a small, non-industrial building of similar design to the one at the light water reactor has been completed.

PHOTO: Satellite images showing the pipeline connecting new buildings and the main production building which was recently completed at the Radioisotope Production Facility. (Supplied: 38 North)


Three large coal bins at the thermal plant appear to have been depleted, but the authors of the report caution there is no visible smoke rising from the smoke stack at this site, so it is hard to conclude whether it is in operation.

The analysts believe the images show operations at the uranium enrichment plant are ongoing.

They said discoloration of the roofs of the cascade halls, which contain the plant's centrifuges, is caused by ice forming from water vapor emitted by the facility's cooling units.

Based on earlier images, this facility is thought to be a radioisotope production facility.

An underground pipeline now appears to have been laid between the main production building and two buildings completed earlier this year that could store chemicals arriving at a nearby rail yard.

PHOTO: Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un met at the Capella resort on Sentosa Island in Singapore. (AP: Evan Vucci)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-...ities-improvements-made-at-rapid-pace/9920374

 

[Hypocrite-The]

China is a clear winner from the Singapore summit with Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un
By North Asia correspondent Matthew Carney
Updated 13 Jun 2018, 8:30am

PHOTO: The effects of the US and North Korean leaders agreement will affect Japan, China and South Korea. (The Straits Times: Kevin Lim)
RELATED STORY: Trump says sanctions will remain in place until Kim gives up his nukes
RELATED STORY: This is the document Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un just signed
RELATED STORY: 'This time it's different': How the historic summit between the US and North Korea unfolded
US President Donald Trump called the declaration signed at end of the summit with Kim Jong-un "comprehensive" but it only contained four generalised main points and was very light on detail.

It was more of a statement of intent on denuclearisation, and a commitment to a "lasting and stable peace" with unspecified "security guarantees" to the North Korean leader.

Read the document in full

The statement details the two leaders' plans to cooperate on denuclearisation and peace on the Peninsula.


In a press conference at the end of the summit, Mr Trump seemed convinced that "it would be complete denuclearisation and would be verified as soon as possible," and that his deal is very different to any other.

He asserted "it was a bold step to a bright new future" and "only the most courageous can make peace".

Surely the sentiment was there, but it didn't answer many of the concerns or provide the substance of how denuclearisation, stability and peace might be achieved for the region.

At this early stage China is a clear winner.

PHOTO: China's relationship with North Korea appears to have been repaired. (AP: Ju Peng/Xinhua)


For the last year the middle kingdom has been calling for "a suspension for a suspension" and in one of the few concrete measures that's exactly what Mr Trump conceded.

He said all joint US and South Korean war games would cease, to match a freeze of North Korean nuclear and missile tests.

It's a signal to China that their demands are being met and raises hopes that China's strategic interests can further be served.

In the coming rounds of meetings and negotiations China will push for at the very least a 'redefinition' of the 28,000 US troops in South Korea to 'peacekeepers'.

Mr Trump himself said he eventually wants the troops to come home.

This is a golden opportunity for China to consolidate its ambitions of dominance in Asia.

The American troop presence in South Korea — with their massive bases — are the biggest projection of US power into the region. With a dilution of that China stands to gain.

Understanding North Korea

Over the years, Radio National's Rear Vision has examined the story behind North Korea and the Kim family.


It could represent the first opening for China that sees itself surrounded by US bases in South Korea, Japan, Guam and Philippines.

China's relationship with North Korea, regardless of what is to happen between the US and North Korea, has been repaired.

So for Mr Trump to return to 'maximum pressure' with sanctions will prove very difficult.

China provides 90 per cent of trade to North Korea and sanctions have only really worked because China turned the screws over the last year on coal, iron-ore, seafood and North Korean labour.

China is already lining up to take advantage of any opening up of North Korea and it is well positioned to do so.

Already three massive industrial/free trade zone areas exist on its border with North Korea and large infrastructure projects like new bridges are ready to go.

China wants to take advantage of the North Korean labour, which will be among the cheapest in the world.

It also want to use deeper economic ties to boost the sluggish economic growth in its north eastern provinces.

So it was no surprise that China's Foreign Ministry called for sanctions to be eased soon after the signing to the joint declaration in Singapore.

PHOTO: South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong-un have met several times prior to the Trump-Kim summit. (AP: Ahn Young-joon)


South Korea probably has the most to lose and most to gain out of a peace treaty and denuclearisation.

For 65 years South Koreans have lived with the ever present threat from the North and an estimated 8,000 artillery pieces pointed at its capital Seoul.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in, the son of North Korean refugees, has staked his presidency on bringing peace to the Peninsula.

After the summit he congratulated Mr Trump and Mr Kim, calling it "an historic event that will end the last remaining conflict of the Cold War and write a new history of peace and cooperation on the Korean Peninsula".

While there is great optimism in South Korea, many are still haunted by the ghosts of failed peace talks that are light on detail and concrete commitment.

What's more, as Mr Trump reiterated, South Korea will have to pay for its peace and reconstruction of the North and that's a massive bill in order of perhaps a trillion dollars, that many are wary of paying.

PHOTO: Japan Self-Defense Forces soldiers take part in a drill in response to a recent missile launch by North Korea. (Reuters: Issei Kato)


And last but not least is Japan, which has felt sidelined by the whole process.

Japan has faced the stark reality of having North Korean missiles being lobbed over their territory in the past year.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's last minute dash to Washington to see Mr Trump last week was an attempt to make sure Japan's interest could be heard.

While it is feasible that Mr Kim might give up his ICBM's (Inter Continental Ballistic Missiles) that could hit American cities if economic concessions follow, giving up the medium or short term missiles in Japan's range might not be so easy to put on the agenda.

PHOTO: Kim Jong-un celebrates the successful launch of a missile. (Reuters: KCNA)


Mr Kim may not be so ready to give up that regional strategic advantage.

Also the Japanese fear the fate of their citizens kidnapped by North Korea — a hugely emotional issue — could be lost in negotiations to come.

Japan, China and South Korea all value the new direction set by the Trump-Kim summit but the different and sometimes competing needs and strategies of each country could present potential stumbling blocks in the coming months and years as they have done in past negotiations.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-...challenges-and-opportunities-for-asia/9862214

 

[Hypocrite-The]

BusinessInvestors ride wave of optimism in Chinese city bordering North Korea




h
Ties between North Korea and the US continue to warm after the historic summit in Singapore. Across its border with China, optimism about the opening up of North Korea is fuelling a rush for property in the Chinese city of Dandong. Olivia Siong reports.
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image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
By Olivia Siong @OliviaSiongCNA
27 Jun 2018 11:03PM (Updated: 28 Jun 2018 12:57AM)
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DANDONG, Liaoning: Half-fish, half-lion - there is no mistaking the iconic Merlion nestled amidst the towering residential blocks. Nothing unusual, except this particular one stands some 4,000km away from Singapore in the Chinese city of Dandong.
The border town has borne the brunt of economic and trade sanctions imposed on North Korea, which lies just across a narrow river. But following the easing of tensions on the Korean Peninsula, investors have swooped in, hoping to make an early kill - particularly in the city's new district.

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That is where the Merlion and Singapore City - a massive residential and commercial project, which was launched in 2009 - is located.

image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
A view inside Singapore City. (Photo: Olivia Siong)

Initial sales were brisk then, but interest swiftly took a nosedive following North Korea's repeated nuclear tests and missile launches - until this year, as North Korea emerges from its self-imposed isolation.
Brothers Holdings, the project's Singaporean developer, said sales have skyrocketed in just a few months - from less than 10 units sold in the first quarter of this year, to 550 units in May alone.

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Interest is also expected to remain high as investors anticipate the gradual opening up of North Korea.
"After the Trump-Kim Summit, there will definitely be a lot more businessmen, investors and residents, who want to choose better real estate to stay in," said Mr TC Koh, group managing director of Brothers Holdings.

image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
Sales of homes at Singapore City have skyrocketed. (Photo: Olivia Siong)

He adds that tweaks will be made to the development's fourth and final phase to take this into account.

"We will change this phase from having four to six blocks. We also hope to build two hotels in the commercial area, with one facing the Yalu River," explained Mr Koh. "If the North Korea situation becomes better, Dandong could enjoy a similar relationship as Hong Kong and Shenzhen."

image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
A boat carrying North Koreans sails down the Yalu River. (Photo: Olivia Siong)

Being the largest Chinese city bordering North Korea, Dandong's fortunes have long been hinged to those of its reclusive neighbour.
As investors jump on the current positive sentiment, reports say that home prices have risen by more than 30 per cent this year, prompting the city government to impose sales and mortgage restrictions.

While residents and investors hope this will inject more vibrancy into the new district, they are also anticipating this would open up a new market in North Korea for them.
A new bridge connecting the new district in Dandong with the North Korean city of Sinuiju had been built during an earlier age of optimism.
But it remains idle long after it was due to open in 2015 and on the North Korean side, it still ends abruptly in farmland, with no onward connections.

image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
The idle new bridge connecting Dandong with North Korea. (Photo: Olivia Siong)

Residents are hoping that this time it will be different.
“It does feel like it’s taken a bit long but I think there’s hope," said 53-year-old Mr Feng Zhongbo, who lives in the new district and has bought a shop in hopes of doing border trade with the North.
"After all, North Korea on the economic front still needs to be pulled by a big market like China ... Since the bridge has been built, it will certainly open, it’s just a matter of time.”

image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
Mr Feng Zhongbo and his wife - residents of Dandong’s new district. (Photo: Olivia Siong)

But some experts cautioned against the unbridled optimism. They said that even if North Korea does open up, it has a long way to go before it's ready for business.
“With the absence of reliable laws and regulations, the foreign investment may not be secure," said Associate Professor Cheng Xiaohe, an expert in North Korean issues from Renmin University.
"There are also some other things they have to keep in mind. For example, the infrastructure in North Korea is absolutely backward and outdated and if you invest in that country you may find your company suffers a shortage of electricity and water and some areas you cannot access because of the lack of transportation vehicles. So the opportunities co-exist with the risks."
However, it seems for now that investors are willing to ride the early wave of optimism in the hope for a better future.
Hope, that as history has shown, can also quickly turn to disappointment when it comes to North Korea.

Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/new...tors-optimism-in-chinese-border-city-10476512