North Korea apparently preparing missile launch

Posted on : 2012-11-24 13:19 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
Technical hurdles remain to launch that would take place at a time of political change on the Korean peninsula
 2009 image provided by DigitalGlobe
2009 image provided by DigitalGlobe

By Ha Eo-young, staff reporter

Military authorities are analyzing data from what appear to be North Korean preparations for a long-range ballistic missile launch.


A Ministry of National Defense official said on Nov. 23 that a shipment believed to be missile parts was apparently brought to the assembly block at North Korea's missile launch base in the village of Dongchang, in Cheolsan County, North Pyongan Province, 200km northwest of Pyongyang and 70km west of main nuclear complex in Yongbyon.


Japan's Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported in its Nov. 23 edition that satellite photos of the shipment appeared to match the long-range ballistic missile launched by North Korea in April. The report quoted officials from the South Korean, US, and Japanese governments.


A military official said whether the shipment was in fact missile parts could not be confirmed, but said it was "not for ordinary missile base activity like maintenance or repairs."


"The military is currently detecting peculiar activity," the official said.


However, the official disputed the Japanese media's reports that the US had notified South Korea of the movements at Dongchang.


"South Korean and US intelligence authorities have both been watching closely from the beginning," the official said.


About one month before the April launch, North Korea gave notice that it would attempt to launch a rocket carrying a satellite, even giving word of this to the International Maritime Organization. The April launch attempt appeared to come about 20 days after the weapons parts were taken to Dongchang.


Pyongyang had not given any specific notice of a missile launch as of Nov. 22, although it did say at the UN General Assembly on Nov. 15 that it would "continue launching the application satellites needed for economic development according to the national space development plan, including stationary satellites."


The Asahi Shimbun reported some people expressing skepticism as to whether North Korea would attempt a long-range rocket launch with a presidential election coming up in South Korea in December. Observers argued it was unclear that Pyongyang would risk objections from the international community at a time when the new administration in Seoul appears likely to initiate dialogue with Pyongyang, ministerial talks have begun with Tokyo, and the Barack Obama administration is set to begin its second term in Washington in January.


But the newspaper analyzed there was a possibility the North Korean military would go ahead with the launch as a way of flexing its muscles at a time when Workers' Party of Korea controls on it have been intensifying under the Kim Jong-un regime.


A Ministry of National Defense official noted that North Korea made two units when attempting to launch its Taepodong missile in April, one of which is believed to remain unused
.

"We're going to have to wait and see if they actually go ahead with the launch," the official said, adding that it would a tall order technically because it typically takes over a year to find and fix the sort of flaw that would have caused the launch failure in April.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr

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