Missile force of Korean People's Army attend a military parade in central Pyongyang, April 15, 2017. (File photo: Xinhua)
North Korea announced Friday that it will be suspending missile testing and freezing a nuclear test site, according to Yonhap news agency.
North Korea state media, the Korean Central News Agency, released an announcement Saturday, saying that North Korea will stop nuclear tests and launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles, and will shut down a nuclear test site in the country's northern side to guarantee transparency in suspending nuclear tests, according to Yonhap news.
“From April 21, North Korea will stop nuclear tests and launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles,” Yonhap quoted the Korean Central News Agency as saying.
Yonhap says the decision was made at the plenary meeting of the central committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK).
The Central Committee of the WPK adopted a resolution that called for concentrating national efforts to achieve a strong socialist economy and groundbreaking improvements in people's lives.
Presidents of the US and South Korea hailed Pyongyang’s announcement on its nuclear and missile program.
"North Korea has agreed to suspend all Nuclear Tests and close up a major test site. This is very good news for North Korea and the World - big progress! Look forward to our Summit," Trump said on Twitter.
In a statement, South Korea’s presidential office called the North’s decision as “meaningful progress” for the denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, adding that it will create a positive environment for the upcoming inter-Korean and North-US summits.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Saturday he welcomed North Korea’s statement that it was suspending all nuclear and missile tests as “forward motion” but that this must lead to verifiable denuclearisation.
(Additional report by Chen Lidan)
