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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Jacob Jarvis

New structure spotted at North Korea missile factory amid fears in US of 'Christmas gift' rocket launch

A new structure has been spotted at North Korean missile factory amid fears the nation could launch a rocket as a "Christmas gift" to the US.

Satellite images, taken on December 19, show the March 16 Factory near Pyongyang, where North Korea manufactures trucks used as mobile launchers for its long-range missiles.

They show the top of a building, which was completed earlier this month.

Director of the East Asia nonproliferation program at the Middlebury Institute, Jeffrey Lewis, tweeted that the construction appeared to be an expansion of the factory.

New structure: A building has been erected at the missile factory (Planet Labs Inc, Middlebury Institute of International Studies via AP)

The sighting comes as speculation mounts that North Korea could launch a rocket or missile in a bid for concessions in stalled nuclear negotiations with the United States.

The nation has promised the US a "Christmas gift", stating what this would be is dependent on action taken by Washington.

Talks between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un have broken down (AP)

Nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang have been stalled since February.

The deadlock came after a summit between leaders Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un fell apart.

North Korea carried out two major tests at its long-range rocket launch and missile engine testing site, in the country's northwest, earlier this month.

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