Reports: N.Korea May Have Launched Missile Near Japan
Reuters
Date: 05-01-05
TOKYO (Reuters) - North Korea, embroiled in an international dispute over its nuclear weapons ambitions, may have launched a short-range missile into the Sea of Japan on Sunday, Japanese media reported.
The missile, which had a likely range of around 100 km (60 miles), may have been launched from North Korea's east coast, state broadcaster NHK said, quoting unnamed defense sources.
NHK quoted one government source as saying the missile was of "very short range and no danger to Japan."
Kyodo news agency, citing unnamed Japanese government sources, said the missile was launched around 8 a.m. Japanese time (2300 GMT Saturday) and the U.S. military had informed Japan of it. It said the Japanese government believes the missile may have been a land-to-ship or small ballistic missile.
The reports did not say whether the reported launch was a test.
The United States accused North Korea of trying to be "bullies in the world."
"They've tested missiles before. This is not the first time of alleged testing of a missile," White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card told U.S. television.
Asked what North Korea's intentions were, Card said: "I think they're looking to kind of be bullies in the world. And they're causing others to stand up and take notice."
A senior South Korean official told Reuters the reported firing could not be confirmed, but added that indications pointed to a possible launch of a very short-range missile with a range of less than 100 km.
"There have been indications that North Korea might test a tactical weapon, but whether a launch actually took place is still doubtful," the official said, on condition of anonymity.
South Korea's YTN television quoted an unnamed senior government official as saying he understood the North had launched a short-range missile.
He added there was no need to give particular significance to the launch because such events are customary in the North.
Other South Korean government officials said they could not comment on the report, saying it was an intelligence matter.
National Security Council spokeswoman Lee Ji-hyun said the government was checking the situation.
South Korea's Foreign Ministry was not available for comment.
No one was available for comment at Japan's Defense Ministry or the Prime Minister's office Sunday. A spokeswoman for the U.S. military in Japan said she could not comment on intelligence matters.
HEIGHTENED TENSIONS
The news comes amid heightened tension over North Korea's nuclear ambitions. Six-party talks aimed at ending the reclusive state's nuclear program have been stalled for almost a year, and recent efforts to restart them have shown little progress.
Washington warned the International Atomic Energy Agency that North Korea has been preparing for an underground nuclear test since March and could carry it out as early as June, Kyodo said Saturday, citing diplomatic sources in Vienna.
The previous day, the chief U.S. negotiator to stalled talks said Washington believed North Korea might be trying to harvest material for a nuclear bomb from a shut-down reactor.
North Korea threatened in March to resume testing, saying it was no longer bound by a 1999 missile test moratorium to which it agreed when it was in talks with the United States.
North Korea has occasionally test fired short-range missiles before. In 1998, it fired a long-range missile over Japan into the Pacific Ocean, stunning the Japanese government.
The North has also tested and deployed a missile with a range of about 1,000 km (620 miles), and the head of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency said recently that North Korea might have mastered the technology for mounting a nuclear warhead on a missile capable of hitting the U.S. West Coast.
In the past, the North has resorted to such saber rattling before returning to dialogue. Analysts said such behavior was intended to bolster domestic support and keep international exposure high in a bid to strengthen its position. (Additional reporting by Kim Miyoung and Jack Kim in Seoul)
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