© 2026 ABC News

Journalists from around the world flew from Beijing to Wonsan, on the east coast of North Korea, Tuesday and were taken on a long journey to the nuclear site near the village of Punggye-ri.

\"PHOTO:
DigitalGlobe via AP
PHOTO: In this May 23, 2018 satellite file it shows the Punggye-ri test site in North Korea. North Korea said on May 24 it has carried out what it says is the demolition of its nuclear test site in the presence of foreign journalists.
>

North Korean state media previously reported the dismantlement process will involve \"collapsing all of its tunnels with explosions, blocking its entrances and removing all observation facilities, research buildings and security posts\" and that foreign media were invited to cover the event to show the process in a \"transparent manner.\"

\"PHOTO:
Satellite image 2018 DigitalGlobe, a Maxar company
PHOTO: In this May 23, 2018 satellite file it shows the Punggye-ri test site in North Korea. North Korea said on May 24 it has carried out what it says is the demolition of its nuclear test site in the presence of foreign journalists.
>

The apparent dismantlement came just hours after the country threatened to pull out of the planned summit with the U.S. over remarks from Vice President Mike Pence, who compared North Korea to Libya, which abandoned its nuclear program early on in hopes of striking a deal with the US only to have its leader ousted and killed years later.

Choe Son Hui, a vice minister in the North Korean Foreign Ministry, called the comments \"unbridled and impudent.\"

“We could surmise more than enough what a political dummy he is as he is trying to compare the DPRK, a nuclear weapon state, to Libya that had simply installed a few items of equipment and fiddled around with them,” KCNA quoted Choe as saying Thursday. \"We will neither beg the U.S. for dialogue nor take the trouble to persuade them if they do not want to sit together with us.

\"PHOTO:
Satellite image 2018 DigitalGlobe, a Maxar company
PHOTO: In this May 23, 2018 satellite file it shows the Punggye-ri test site in North Korea. North Korea said on May 24 it has carried out what it says is the demolition of its nuclear test site in the presence of foreign journalists.
>

\"Whether the U.S. will meet us at a meeting room or encounter us at nuclear-to-nuclear showdown is entirely dependent upon the decision and behavior of the United States,\" she added.

ABC News’ Karson Yiu and Ben Gittleson contributed to this report.

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/International/north-korea-dismantled-nuclear-test-site-reports/story?id=55403482","legacySlug":"/news/story/north-korea-dismantled-nuclear-test-site-reports-55403482","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"10:58","publishDate":"05-24-2018","updatedTime":"13:36","updatedDate":"05-24-2018","socialImage":{"alt":"In this May 23, 2018 satellite file it shows the Punggye-ri test site in North Korea. North Korea said on May 24 it has carried out what it says is the demolition of its nuclear test site in the presence of foreign journalists.","credit":"DigitalGlobe via AP","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/International/north-korea-site-file-ap-ml-180524_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"5/24/2018 10:58:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":55403482,"headline":"North Korea says it dismantled nuclear test site","mediaAssetTitle":"ALLEN_NK_test_site_180524","description":"North Korea claims it dismantled its nuclear test site.","duration":"2:20","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2018/05/180524_gma_moran_0705_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["133741861","133707237","133144263"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"June 10, 2026","headline":"NASA unveils Artemis III crew","section":"News","slug":"/video/133741861","id":"133741861","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: NASA unveils Artemis III crew","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: NASA unveils Artemis III crew","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"June 9, 2026","headline":"Flash flood threat as dangerous weather on the move","section":"News","slug":"/video/133707237","id":"133707237","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Flash flood threat as dangerous weather on the move","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Flash flood threat as dangerous weather on the move","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"May 20, 2026","headline":"Fashion mogul’s son arrested in father’s fatal fall","section":"News","slug":"/video/133144263","id":"133144263","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fashion mogul’s son arrested in father’s fatal fall","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fashion mogul’s son arrested in father’s fatal fall","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"North Korea says it dismantled nuclear test site","description":"North Korea claims it dismantled its nuclear test site.","duration":"2:20","uploadDate":"05-24-2018","publication":"05-24-2018","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2018/05/180524_gma_moran_0705_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2018/05/180524_gma_moran_0705_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/north-korea-dismantled-nuclear-test-site-reports-55403482"}},"playlist":[{"id":"134033809","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"78356537","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133929295","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133958398","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133882828","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133810954","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133779647","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133810835","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133749799","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133777519","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133748258","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133730535","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133712423","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133694181","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133688738","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133616358","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133616342","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133522899","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133584123","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133579397","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"North Korea says it dismantled nuclear test site","pubTime":"06:58","pubDate":"05-24-2018","modTime":"09:36","modDate":"05-24-2018","taxonomyTags":"none","id":55403482,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"North Korea says it dismantled nuclear test site","mediaAssetTitle":"ALLEN_NK_test_site_180524","videoId":55403482,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/north-korea-dismantled-nuclear-test-site-reports-55403482"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/55403482","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/55403482","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};