North Koreans have been spotted playing volleyball at its nuclear test site
North Korea's military has been spotted seemingly playing a game of volleyball at the main Punggye-ri nuclear test site.
Satellite images of the site appear to show two six-player teams facing each other, with a net between them.
Joseph Bermudez, an analyst for non-profit 38 North, which first noticed the pictures, said multiple games were going on at the facility -- at the administrative area, the support area, the command centre, and at the guard barracks.
A possible volleyball net seen in the command center areaCredit: DigitalGlobe/Getty ImagesA probable volleyball game seen at the guard barracks at Punggye-riCredit: DigitalGlobe/Getty ImagesThe people appear to be standing in formations consistent with volleyball games, he added.
But if you thought the North Koreans were taking a break, it's more likely that the games were staged knowing the outside world is looking.
PUNGGYE-RI NUCLEAR TEST SITE, NORTH KOREA - APRIL 16, 2017. Figure 4. Probable volleyball game seen at the command center support area. (Photo DigitalGlobe/38 North via Getty Images)Credit: DigitalGlobe/Getty ImagesAnalysts told the New York Timesthat the games were probably intended to send a message, as North Korea knows that the Punggye-ri test site is under intense scrutiny.
The games could be North Korea's way of indicating that it's pausing its controversial nuclear missile testing activity -- or that it's making it seem like it has.
Both China and the U.S. have raised condemnation of the hermit country's nuclear tests in recent weeks, as Trump places pressure on the North to halt its missile activity.
"While strongly suggestive of the completion of preparations for a sixth nuclear test, the imagery alone does not provide any definitive evidence of the installation of a nuclear device or indication of the specific timing for such an event," Bermudez told Mashable.
"It doesn't mean anything other than people are there, and they are bored."
Volleyball games are a normal occurrence at Punggye-ri, according to Melissa Hanham, an analyst at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California. The game is a popular sport in North Korea.
"It doesn't mean anything other than people are there and [that] they are bored," Hanham said in an email to Mashable.
Both Hanham and Bermudez agreed that the site could still be ready for a nuclear test.
38 North described the site as "primed and ready" on April 12, and a UN representative of the reclusive dictatorship confirmed that a new nuclear test was under preparation.
Analysts speculated that the reclusive dictatorship could trigger a nuclear test to mark the 105th birth anniversary of the country's founding leader, Kim Il-Sung, which occurred last Saturday. Kim Il-Sung's grandson, Kim Jong-un, is North Korea's current leader.
"The ultimate choice as to whether to test, or not to test, rests solely in the hands of Kim Jong-un," Bermudez said.
Featured Video For You
Scientists discovered a rare giant black worm monster in the Philippines
(责任编辑:产品中心)
- Nvidia GeForce Now Ultimate vs. New Graphics Card
- Poland celebrates rise as Central European powerhouse
- 从田头到舌尖,你的“荔枝自由”茂南来守护!(附最全采购指南)
- Best Bose deal: Save up to $150 on Bose headphones and speakers
- The AI stock bubble has burst. Here's how we know.
- Nvidia GeForce Now Ultimate vs. New Graphics Card
- 7 best noise
- iPhone owners sue Apple over 'Touch Disease'
- 千年古荔是什么味道?茂南“禄段古荔园”可一键定制!
- From Prairie Grasslands to Man
- Hamilton faces tough task but promises to bring his 'A
- CrowdStrike outage is still causing hundreds of flight cancellations daily
- N. Korean threats impede Asian growth: Park
-
'Hyundai Way': Auto giant's W121tr plan aims to seize mobility market lead
Hyundai Motor Company President and CEO Chang Jae-hoon introduces the 10-year "Hyundai Way" strategy ...[详细] -
N. Korea's SLBM test conducted from barge, not from submarine: U.S. expert
North Korea is believed to have conducted the recent test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile ...[详细] -
Forgotten captives in North Korea
Kim Jung-wook, a South Korean missionary, speaks during a press conference in Pyongyang, North Korea ...[详细] -
Instagram is supposed to be about taking and sharing nice photos, though for most, it's really about ...[详细]
-
Yoon touts pension reform drive amid stagnant popularity rating
President Yoon Suk Yeol takes reporters' questions during a news conference after a state affai ...[详细] -
Russia's appeal for security talks with N. Korea to counter Seoul
North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui (R) and her Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, exchange ...[详细] -
Apple might finally refresh its MacBook lineup, and in a big way
If you're looking to buy a new MacBook, iMac or a Mac Pro computer, we feel for you. Apple hasn't la ...[详细] -
Starving artist Justin Bieber's credit card was declined at Subway
Stars, they're just like us! They can't go to Subway without experiencing an emotional rollercoaster ...[详细] -
Recently I had a friend over to whom I offered to audition my DIY PC speaker system. The first thing ...[详细]
-
Russia's foreign minister thanks North Korea for supporting its war in Ukraine
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov takes part in a welcoming ceremony upon his arrival in Pyongy ...[详细]
- Yoon, US Senate's armed service committee chief discuss alliance, N.K. threats
- N. Korea stipulates nuclear force
- [Herald Interview] Educating girls ‘way to end poverty’
- Best headphones deal: The Sonos Ace are on sale for the first time ever.
- What Ever Happened to Winamp?
- US stresses opposition to any arms provision to Hamas amid claimed use of N. Korean weapons
- NK slams Yoon's warning against Pyongyang