Trump Calls NY Times Report on N Korea Developing Missile Bases 'Inaccurate'

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - President Donald Trump in a statement on Tuesday said the New York Times report regarding North Korea moving forward with its ballistic missile program at secret sites does not contain anything new.

"The story in the New York Times concerning North Korea developing missile bases is inaccurate," Trump said in a Twitter post. "We fully know about the sites being discussed, nothing new — and nothing happening out of the normal. Just more Fake News. I will be the first to let you know if things go bad!"

On Monday, the New York Times, citing satellite imagery posted online, reported that Pyongyang is making progress on its ballistic missile program at 16 hidden bases, contradicting Trump’s claims of neutralizing the nuclear threat on the Korean peninsula.

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The report also said sanctions against North Korea are collapsing in part because North Korea is leveraging Washington’s new "soft" approach while resuming trade with Russia and China.

The long-standing tensions on the Korean Peninsula started to ease after North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un committed to denuclearizing and held historic summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump earlier in the year. Last week Trump said he expects to meet with Kim early next year.