North Korea readies short-range missile launchers
On Sunday, North Korea appeared to be planning a missile test launch and moved two short-range Scud missile launchers to its east coast. On Saturday, North Korea reiterated it would not give up its nuclear weapons.
Visitors use binoculars to watch the Unification Bridge, at the Imjingak Pavilion near the border village of Panmunjom, which has separated the two Koreas since the Korean War, in Paju, north of Seoul, South Korea, Sunday.
Lee Jin-man/AP
Seoul
听has moved two short-range missile launchers to its听, apparently indicating it is pushing ahead with preparations for a test launch, a South Korean news agency reported on Sunday.
听and its allies have been expecting some sort of听North听Korean missile launch during weeks of heightened hostility on the Korean peninsula.
An unidentified South Korean military source told the South's Yonhap news agency that satellite imagery showed that听North听Korean forces had moved two mobile missile launchers for short-range听听missiles to听听province.
"The military is closely watching the听North's latest preparations for a missile launch," the source said.
The听North听moved two mid-range Musudan missiles in early April and placed seven mobile launchers in the same area, Yonhap said. A听North听Korean show of force could be staged to coincide with the anniversary of the founding of its听听on April 25.
A听听official said he could not confirm the news report and said there had been no sign of unusual activity in听.听听fairly regularly test-fires short-range missiles in the sea off its.
听stepped up its defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions in December when it launched a rocket that it said had put a scientific satellite into orbit. Critics said the launch was aimed at developing technology to deliver a nuclear warhead mounted on a long-range missile.
The听North听followed that in February with its third test of a nuclear weapon. That brought new U.N. sanctions which in turn led to a dramatic intensification of听's threats of nuclear strikes against听听and the.
The tension has eased over recent days with the听North听at least talking about dialogue in response to calls for talks from both the听听and听.
On Saturday,听听reiterated that it would not give up its nuclear weapons, rejecting a US condition for talks although it said it was willing to discuss disarmament.