North Korea has carried out what it says is the demolition of its nuclear test site in the presence of foreign journalists.

The demolition happened on Thursday at the site deep in the mountains of the North’s sparsely populated north east.

The planned closing was previously announced by leader Kim Jong Un ahead of his planned summit with US President Donald Trump next month.

Donald Trump (Niall Carson/PA)
Donald Trump (Niall Carson/PA)

The North’s decision to close the site has generally been seen as a welcome gesture by Mr Kim to set a positive tone ahead of the summit.

Even so, it is not an irreversible move and would need to be followed by many more significant measures to meet Mr Trump’s demands for denuclearisation.

The North did not invite international inspectors to the ceremony, which limits its value as a serious concession.