N. Korea pushes forward with preparations to test missile: source

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; ADDS U.S. commander's comment, U.S. diplomat's visit,
details, background throughout; RESTRUCTURES; TRIMS throughout)
By Sam Kim
SEOUL, Feb. 11 (Yonhap) -- Despite repeated warnings, North Korea is moving ahead
with its preparations to test-fire a long-range ballistic missile by putting
together necessary gear, a South Korean source said Wednesday.
South Korean and U.S. officials said last week North Korea is believed to have
moved its most advanced missile, the Taepodong-2, to a launch site on the east
coast.
They added a launch could come after a month or two of preparation, or even
earlier because the isolated state has likely improved its missile technology.
"Vehicles carrying equipment needed for missile launches are continuing to travel
to the Musudan-ri base," the source said, declining to specifically identify the
cargo.
"At the current pace, they could inject fuel within a month," the source said,
adding the vehicles are taking turns in their delivery as they travel from a
military factory south of Pyongyang.
Citing an unnamed U.S. official, CNN reported Tuesday (Washington time) that the
North was assembling telemetry equipment -- a crucial component used to monitor
missile launches -- at the site.
The report came as U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates expressed confidence in a
Pentagon briefing that the U.S. could effectively intercept a Taepodong-2 missile
should one approach its territory.
Despite a 2006 failure, the missile is believed to be capable of striking Alaska
and the western U.S. because it has an estimated range of up to 6,700 km.
Gen. Walter Sharp, the top U.S. commander in South Korea, warned Tuesday in Seoul
that a test-launch would be a "very irresponsible" act.
About 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-53
Korean War that ended in a truce rather than a peace treaty. Sharp said the
allies are ready to deal with "any contingency, any provocation."
Analysts and officials say Pyongyang's latest move could be aimed at drawing the
attention of U.S. President Barack Obama, who has a lengthy list of foreign and
domestic issues to grapple with after being inaugurated in mid-January.
The suspected missile preparation also comes as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton is set to make a high-profile trip to South Korea, Indonesia, Japan and
China next week. The main focus of her trip is likely to be North Korea's nuclear
weapons development.
The first Taepodong missile was launched in 1998 and flew over Japan before
falling into the sea off Alaska. Weapons experts play down the likelihood of the
North having developed the technology to mount nuclear warheads on its rockets.
North Korea conducted its first known atomic test in 2006.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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