N. Korea readying nuclear site for inspectors – Seoul

South Korea’s spy agency has detected signs that Pyongyang is preparing to allow international inspectors to visit its nuclear and missile test sites, Yonhap said on Wednesday. At a parliamentary audit on Wednesday, the South’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) said it was “closely monitoring” the Punggye-ri nuclear test facility and the Tongchang-ri missile launching ground for possible inspections. “Signs have been detected that North Korea is doing some preparations and intelligence-related activity over a possible visit by outside experts,” a lawmaker who was briefed by the NIS was cited as saying. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has expressed his willingness to have foreign experts inspect the facilities, as part of on-off negotiations on denuclearization. However, there is no indication as to whether invitations have been sent, according to AFP. Pyongyang took apart the Punggye-ri site in the northeast in May but has yet to allow international observers in to verify its claims.