North Korea allowed eight South Korean journalists into the country Wednesday to witness the dismantling of a nuclear test site after initially denying the reporters entry across the border.
South Korea’s ministry of unification said the reporters flew directly to Wonsan to cover the dismantling of the Punggye-ri nuclear facility, which is more than 12 hours away from Wonsan by train.
Unification ministry spokesperson Baik Tae-hyun said Seoul “welcomes” the participation of the South Korean reporters at the event.
The reporters initially had not been allowed to join other journalists in a contingent that arrived in North Korea on Tuesday; Pyongyang didn’t offer a reason for denying access at first.
North Korea has promised to shut down the facility as part of its offer to end its nuclear weapons program. A planned summit with President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on June 12 is in doubt, with Pyongyang objecting to U.S. demands for immediate denuclearization.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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