Washington (March 6, 2019) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the East Asia Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, expressed his concern about reports and imagery suggesting that North Korea is restoring facilities at the Sohae long-range rocket launch site in Tongchang-ri. North Korea appeared to dismantle part of that site last year, which President Donald Trump hailed as evidence that his approach to Kim Jong Un’s illicit weapons programs was successful.

“North Korea’s apparent work at this launch site raises the troubling possibility that yet again Kim Jong Un is more interested in garnering concessions than conducting serious, good faith efforts to denuclearize,” said Senator Markey. “The reported improvements are concerning not only because satellite launches can help the Kim regime further develop ballistic missiles to threaten the United Stated and our allies with nuclear attack, but also because President Trump never codified in writing North Korea’s missile and nuclear testing freeze. Without that formal commitment, North Korea might claim it is doing nothing wrong and derail the fragile diplomatic process underway.

“After the unsuccessful Hanoi summit, it is imperative that the Trump administration take immediate steps to make sure this does not happen. It must seek to start working-level talks with North Korea as soon as possible – including discussions on why North Korea has resumed work at its Sohae facility. And the administration must update Congress on when this work began and what exactly is being done. Should North Korea abandon diplomacy or conduct new provocations, the United States should be ready to consider additional ways to apply pressure on the Kim regime to aid negotiations.”

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