President Donald Trump's insistence North Korea has ended development of its intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) was repudiated with finality by the stunning revelation the communist state is now building two new ICBMs.
The new missiles can carry nuclear warheads towards targets anywhere in the United States. North Korea is still constructing the support equipment and launchers for its nuclear-armed ICBMs.
These unmistakable signs of a progressive nuclear weapons program support the contention by western North Korean observers that denuclearization doesn't mean the same thing to Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un.
The United States Intelligence Community affirms North Korea is developing new ICBMs, which is another sign Kim has no intention of shutting down his country's nuclear program despite "promises" made to Trump during the failed meeting in Singapore last June 12.
Trump boasted the North Korean nuclear threat was over soon after he returned from Singapore. Intelligence revelations since then, however, prove Trump's boasting to be mistaken. Reports in June confirmed that North Korea is increasing production of nuclear weapons.
Satellite imagery from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) reveals North Korea is doing "ongoing work on at least one Hwasong-15" and probably two. Hwasong-15 first flew in November 2017 and is the first North Korean ICBM that can theoretically deliver a nuclear warhead to a target anywhere on the entire United States mainland, including Washington D.C.
Hwasong-15 has an estimated range of 13,000 km and should be capable of lifting a 1,000 kg nuclear warhead. These estimates are based on monitored results of the first and only Hwasong-15 launch, in which the missile disintegrated in flight.
NGA is a combat support agency under the Department of Defense and an intelligence agency of the United States Intelligence Community. Its primary mission is collecting, analyzing, and distributing geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) in support of U.S. national security. NGA is based at Fort Belvoir in Springfield, Virginia.
Further proof of North Korea's continuing nuclear weapons development program confirms that the Trump administration's continuing claim to the contrary is a lie. Only last week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the Senate that North Korea was making progress toward denuclearization.
Pompeo, however, refused to confirm if North Korea is developing new ICBMs or trying to advance its nuclear weapons program. He did admit that North Korea still producing the fissile materials needed to ignite a nuclear chain reaction.
U.S. intelligence also continues to see more indications that North Korea isn't being completely transparent with the Trump administration.
