N Korean Nuclear Test Site May Be Closed on Thursday - Official

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The closure of the Punggye-ri nuclear test site in North Korea may take place on Thursday if the weather conditions are favorable, a North Korean official told South Korean journalists who are expected to cover the event.

"If the weather conditions are good tomorrow, (we) can do (the work)," the official said, as quoted by the Yonhap news agency.

Earlier in the week, a number of foreign journalists from the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, and China arrived in Wonsan to cover the dismantling of the Punggye-ri site. They are expected to reach the nuclear test site on Thursday morning.

READ MORE: North Korea Begins Dismantling Nuclear Test Site — Reports

Eight South Korean reporters from News 1 agency and MBC broadcaster, whose trip was initially canceled, arrived in Wonsan on board of a government plane.

Media reports have suggested that it will take 12 hours by train, four hours by bus and two hours by foot to get from Wonsan to the Punggye-ri nuclear test site.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un announced the shutdown of the Punggye-ri site during his summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in late April. However, Korean relations, which had improved dramatically since the beginning of the year, entered a new period of uncertainty as the United States and South Korea resumed military drills near North Korea's shores. Pyongyang has objected to the military exercises, which it sees as a threat.

The dismantlement of the nuclear site will take place between May 23-25.