North Korea has secret base with intermediate-range missiles capable of hitting Japan’s Okinawa: US study

The Sangnam-ni missile operating base, 250km north of the border with South Korea, is one of an estimated 20 undeclared missile bases in North Korea, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies said in a report.

The deployment of the Hwasong-10, with a range of more than 3,000km, at Sangnam-ni is “a component of North Korea’s presumed offensive ballistic missile strategy that provides a strategic-level first strike capability against targets located throughout East Asia as far as US forces in Okinawa and Guam”, the report said.

However, the base does not appear to be part of denuclearisation negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang, according to the report, which will continue at a meeting of US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Vietnam later this month.

The CSIS warned any agreement leading to the dismantling of only the test site in Tongchang-ri “would obscure the extant military threat to US forces and South Korea from this and other undeclared ballistic missile bases”.

At the same time, Kim is said to be ready to accept the dismantling and inspection of a high-profile nuclear plant, a South Korean presidential adviser said, suggesting a possible point of compromise in the talks with Trump.