Lingering quakes hint at long-term crustal memory at NK’s Punggye-ri site
A Science study analyzing data from 2008–2025 finds a sustained rise in seismic activity around North Korea’s Punggye-ri nuclear test site, intensifying after the 2017 detonation. Most quakes are small (magnitude 2–3) and shallow, suggesting preexisting intraplate faults near Mount Mantap were reactivated and that the final test may have triggered long-lasting crustal instability. The finding could complicate long-term monitoring of underground tests, and while no new tests are confirmed, data limitations mean the true rate of seismicity could be higher.