The news follows Seoul’s weather agency Korea Meteorological Administration chief, Nam Jae-cheol’s remarks that another detonation could possibly prompt a collapse of the test site and spill radioactive materials, during a parliamentary audit here on Monday. North Korea’s sixth and latest nuclear test on Sept. 3, which is also referred to as its strongest yet, may have dealt a heavy blow to its topography. But a US think tank claimed that “for the time being,” Pyongyang has no plans to abandon the Punggye-ri test site, “given the presence of additional test portals.” Although substantial damage to the tunnels is suspected, similar nuclear tests conducted at the US Nevada Test Site and former Soviet nuclear test sites did not lead to site abandonment, an analysis by 38 North, at the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies said. “North Korea currently has two options regarding military provocations -- launching an intercontinental ballistic missile test or nuclear test,” Koh Yoo-hwan, a professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University said. “However, if its nuclear test site (of Punggye-ri) is exhausted there won’t be another nuclear experiment any time soon,” he said.

Source: The Nation Bangkok November 01, 2017 07:07 UTC