North Korea claims to have conducted a "very significant" test at its missile launch site. Satellite images showed North Korea testing a rocket engine, experts said on Monday.
North Korea's state media, the North Korean Central News Agency, reported earlier on Sunday that a "very significant" test had been conducted at the sohae satellite launch site. U.S. officials have said North Korea has promised to close the launch site.
North Korea's Central News Agency said the results of the major test will play an important role in changing North Korea's strategic position, but did not say what it tested. Previously, the site was used to launch rockets and satellites into space.
Analysts Jeffrey Lewis said the commercial satellite images taken by planet labs on Saturday showed that vehicles and equipment may be used for rocket engine experiments, while the images taken on Sunday morning showed signs of testing.
"The vehicles and items that came up on December 7 are for this test," said Lewis, who is currently the director of the East Asia nonproliferation program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in California.
"Almost all of these vehicles and items disappeared on December 8, but the ground seems to have traces of test exhaust."
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