Neighbors play down threat of N.Korea missile test
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-05-02 17:52

North Korea's suspected missile test at the weekend was not a major worry for the region since it appeared to be a short-range weapon incapable of carrying a nuclear warhead, officials said on Monday.

Giant North Korean flag flies over the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea. The United States, Japan and South Korea played down North Korea's test-firing of a short-range missile off its east coast, saying it was not related to Pyongyang's drive for nuclear weaponsNo caption. [AFP]

But the test would strain efforts to restart talks on Pyongyang's nuclear programs, they said.

North Korea test-launched what appeared to be a short-range missile into the Sea of Japan on Sunday, U.S. officials said. The test came as Washington officials indicated Pyongyang may be headed toward a nuclear test.

"Is this the kind of missile that can carry a nuclear warhead? Not really," a South Korean government official said on condition of anonymity, referring to Sunday's test.

A defense ministry spokeswoman in Tokyo said Japan had yet to confirm whether the launch took place.

"At this point, the missile in question is thought to have flown a very short distance and cannot be described as something that immediately has a particular impact on our country's security," a spokeswoman said.

Analysts said Pyongyang may have meant to send a jolt to a six-party process aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear ambitions, which have been stalled since June 2004.

Kyodo news agency, citing unnamed Japanese government sources, said the launch occurred around 8 a.m. Japanese time on Sunday (2300 GMT Saturday). Tokyo believes the weapon may have been a land-to-ship or small ballistic missile, the report said.

The missile, which likely had a range of about 100 km (60 miles), may have been launched from North Korea's east coast, Japanese network NHK reported, quoting unnamed defense sources.

NO INCREASE IN THREAT

In June 2004, North Korea was suspected of firing a similar type of missile as officials were gathering in Beijing for the last round of talks that include North and South Korea, China, Japan, Russia and the United States.

No meetings have been held since then.

"This missile launch does not mean that there has been an increase in the threat from North Korea," said Noriyuki Suzuki, chief analyst at Tokyo-based Radiopress, which monitors North Korea.

Suzuki noted when North Korea fired a short-range missile last year, it was trying to increase its leverage in the talks and added the North may have had a similar intention this time.

"The overt purpose is an exercise or test, but given the timing there could be an element of provocation, a political element," he said.

The missile test caused the yen and the South Korean won to fall in early trading on Monday, but had little impact on stocks.

"For now investors are willing to be calm about the North Korea news and wait for more developments," said Hwang Chang-jung, an analyst at Woori Investment and Securities.

"MUTUALLY ASSURED DESTRUCTION"

The White House called the test a bullying tactic and said there was growing evidence that the North may be working to arm missiles with a nuclear warhead.

The suspected North Korean missile test came on the eve of a U.N.-hosted conference expected to focus on nuclear proliferation concerns, including North Korea.

In February, North Korea announced it possessed nuclear weapons. It also recently shut down a nuclear reactor, in a move U.S. officials said could lead to Pyongyang harvesting fissile material that could be used for atomic bombs.

South Korean analysts see Pyongyang as wanting to build long-range missiles that can hit the United States, which it sees as its main adversary. North Korea already has missiles that can strike South Korea and Japan.

"The possibility of North Korea's missile programs soon becoming a comprehensive threat is very high," said Chang Myung-soon, an expert on North Korea's military at the Korea Institute for Military Studies.

The commander of the U.S. military in South Korea, General Leon LaPorte, was quoted by a South Korean parliament member as saying to lawmakers on Monday that North Korea possibly had one or two nuclear bombs and the ability to produce more.

Another South Korean official said the missile test fell short of attracting repercussions in terms of international efforts to contain proliferation of missile technology.

"We don't know for certain what North Korea's intentions might have been, but it does not amount to a serious violation of international regimes on missile technology," he said.

North Korea has test-fired missiles in previous years. It is believed to have fired short-range missiles on four occasions last year, South Korean sources said.

A 1998 test of a longer-range missile over Japan into the Pacific Ocean stunned Tokyo, but Pyongyang has since declared a moratorium on long-range missile testing. In a March statement, however, it appeared to withdraw the moratorium.

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