SEOUL: - North Korea appears to be gearing up to test-fire a long-range missile, US and South Korean officials say. 'There are some signs that the North Koreans are preparing for a Taepodong-2 launch,' a US official said yesterday. The Taepodong-2 has a range of more than 6,700km, putting the western US within striking range, according to the South Korean government. A US counter-proliferation official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the North appears 'to be assembling the kinds of equipment you would expect to see in advance of such a launch'. He added: 'But whether it will carry out the launch or not is entirely unclear, as is the timing for a possible launch.' Yonhap news agency said South Korean and US intelligence agencies have spotted a train carrying a long, cylinder- shaped object - believed to be a long- range missile - heading towards the new missile launch site of Dongchang-ni, on North Korea's west coast and about 40km south of China. The intelligence indicates the missile is likely a remodelled version of the Taepodong-2, and the North could finish its preparations for a missile launch within one or two months, Yonhap said, citing unidentified officials. The Japanese newspaper Sankei also reported on preparations for a possible Taepodong-2 launch, citing several unnamed Japanese government officials. North Korea tested the engine of a long-range missile last year, according to US and South Korean officials. But experts believe Pyongyang does not have yet the technology to miniaturise an atomic weapon so it can be mounted on a missile as a warhead. In July 2006, Pyongyang launched a Taepodong-2 missile but US officials said it failed after about 40 seconds. Mr Baek Seung Joo of the Korea Institute for Defence Analyses believes the planned launch is more a political than military move aimed at getting the attention of the new US administration. 'North Koreans seek warmer ties with the Obama administration, not strained relations, at the beginning,' he said. North Korean leader Kim Jong Il wants to gain the upper hand in upcoming talks on its nuclear disarmament and economic aids with Washington, added Mr Baek.
ASSOCIATED PRESS, REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
