South Korea's defense minister said Thursday that it believes North Korea's missile launch is not imminent despite concern in the region that the nation would test-fire a long-range missile.

South Korean protesters shout slogans as they carry mock North Korean missile during an anti-North Korea rally in downtown Seoul, Thursday, June 22, 2006. Japan has sent ships and planes to monitor North Korea amid regional jitters about a possible long-range missile launch, officials said Thursday, but played down the nation's capacity to possibly load a nuclear warhead atop its rockets. [AP]

"It is our judgment that a launch is not imminent," Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung told a parliamentary meeting in comments confirmed by his ministry.

"There are various procedures before the launch, and based on those procedures, that is how we see it," Yoon said, without elaborating.

Worries over a possible North Korean launch have grown in recent weeks after reports of activity at the country's launch site on its northeastern coast where U.S. officials say a Taepodong-2 missile -- believed capable of reaching parts of the United States -- is possibly being fueled.

China on Thursday issued its strongest statement of concern over a possible North Korean missile launch, and Pyongyang warned of clashes in the skies as it accused U.S. spy planes of repeated illegal intrusions.