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    April 08, 2012

News Report Says North Korea Preparing for Third Nuclear Test

   VOA News

   Map of North Korea
   South Korea's semi-official Yonhap news agency reported Sunday that
   North Korea appears to be preparing for a third nuclear weapons test.
   The report quoted an unidentified intelligence source as saying that
   satellite images show workers at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site in
   the northeast digging a new tunnel. The North conducted two previous
   nuclear tests at the site, first in October of 2006 and again in May of
   2009.
   The source told Yonhap that it appears the mining work is in its final
   stage.
   North Korea agreed in February to stop nuclear tests, uranium
   enrichment and long-range missile launches in return for food aid. But
   that agreement unraveled when Pyongyang announced in March that it
   plans to launch a satellite into space this month.
   Pyongyang insists the launch is a peaceful space project, but countries
   including the United States, Japan and South Korea view it as a
   disguised missile test, in breach of UN resolutions.

   Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.

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