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North Korea blows up part of its nuclear test site

Posted at 7:19 AM, May 24, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-24 08:21:05-04

North Korea destroyed at least three nuclear tunnels, observation buildings, a metal foundry and living quarters at its Punggye-ri nuclear test site on Thursday, in a process observed by invited international journalists.

A CNN crew at the remote mountain site in the country’s north witnessed the destruction of nuclear tunnels 2, 3 and 4 from observation decks about 500 meters away.

They were among two dozen journalists invited into the country to observe the destruction of the tunnels, which comes just weeks before a planned meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump.

Before the explosions, the journalists said they were invited to view the explosives rigged in the tunnels, before moving a safe distance away to witness their detonation.

North Korea has conducted six nuclear tests at the site, the most recent in September 2017.