Fresh Kim weapon advances show challenge facing Trump

Bloomberg

Evidence of new efforts by Kim Jong-un to expand his nuclear arsenal underscore the challenge facing US President Donald Trump three weeks after declaring that North Korea was “ no longer a nuclear threat.”
Several reports released in recent days suggest that Kim continued to ramp up his weapons production — rather than prepare to disarm — in the weeks leading up to his June 12 summit with Trump in Singapore.
The reports published by independent researchers and media organisations detail expansion efforts to increase fuel production, build more missile launchers and expand a key rocket-engine manufacturing facility. The moves illustrate how far Kim remains from surrendering his nuclear weapons despite committing to “work towards complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula” during his meeting with Trump.
While the reports — some relying on satellite imagery predating the summit — haven’t been officially verified, they suggest US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has much to discuss during an expected trip to Pyongyang in the coming days.
“The reports are just a good reminder of how complicated and difficult it is to denuclearise the North,” said Shin Beomchul, director at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies’ Center for Security and Unification.
“North Korea’s intent to denuclearise has been verified only by words and, now with Pompeo expected to make another visit to Pyongyang, it’s time to prove them with actions.”

Missile Defense
In the days since the summit, North Korea’s Kim has expanded ties with rivals and allies alike, visiting China and holding talks on economic cooperation with South Korea. Trump has touted the agreement in campaign-style rallies despite criticism by arms-control experts that the lack of a clear implementation framework makes it easy for Kim to exploit.
Meanwhile, the US and South Korea have suspended regular military exercises seen in North Korea as a threat.
Although Kim has pledged to halt nuclear-weapons tests and demolished a facility used for all six of the country’s atomic bomb detonations, he has said nothing about production and made no commitment to unilaterally disarm. US defense analysts have said North Korea retains as many as 60 nuclear bombs and a range of missiles, including some that are capable of striking the US.
Recent revelations include an NBC News report that said US intelligence agencies believe North Korea has increased its production of enriched uranium fuel for nuclear weapons at multiple secret sites in recent months. The report said the US side suspected Kim may try to conceal those facilities a negotiations progress. That undercuts Trump’s own rosy take after the summit. “President Obama said that North Korea was our biggest and most dangerous problem. No longer — sleep well tonight!” he said.
The Middlebury Institute of International Studies released an analysis that found North Korea has recently expanded a factory complex in the eastern city of Hamhung that produces key engines for solid-fuel ballistic missiles. The construction came after Kim made a similar “denuclearisation” pledge during his meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in.