N. Korea testing radars, equipment at missile base: official

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By Sam Kim
SEOUL, Feb. 27 (Yonhap) -- North Korea appears to have begun testing radars and
other equipment as it moves closer towards launching what it claims is a
satellite, a South Korean official said Friday.
Pyongyang said earlier this week it is preparing to shoot a communications
satellite into orbit, a claim its neighbors say is intended to mask plans to
launch a ballistic missile capable of striking Alaska.
The North has moved what appears to be its longest-range Taepodong-2 missile to a
base in its northeast several weeks ago, according to intelligence reports, and
has begun assembling radars and other monitoring equipment at the site.
"Considering the brisk activity at the Musudan-ri base, we've concluded that the
North's authorities have started testing radars and other equipment as they
assemble them," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he
is not allowed to disclose such information to the media.
But the official at the Ministry of National Defense did not know whether the
North may have tried switching on the thruster that would be used in the rocket.
"We would know it fairly easily once the North tests a component like that
because it generates clearer signs," he said.
South Korean officials said this week North Korea will likely complete
preparations for a launch ahead of its rubber-stamp parliamentary elections next
month.
The elections, in which North Korean leader Kim Jong-il will almost certainly
reaffirm his control over the country's 1.2-million troops after a rumored stroke
last year, are set for March 8.
The officials said the suspected missile has yet to be mounted on the launch pad
and that the North has developed new technology to expedite fuel injection.
A Taepodong-2 missile has an estimated range of over 6,700 km -- threatening the
western United States -- but an earlier version crashed soon after takeoff in
July 2006.
South Korea said in its latest defense policy report that the North has taken
measures to fix the glitches, but downplayed the likelihood of the country having
obtained the capability to tip a rocket with a nuclear warhead.
North Korea conducted its first known atomic test in 2006.
Kim Myong-gil, North Korean envoy to the United Nations, said in Atlanta where he
attended an academic forum that his country will "conduct the launch as planned,"
despite warnings from its neighbors.
"A satellite launch is a matter of our independent rights," Kim told reporters,
dismissing suggestions it would hurt prospects for improving Pyongyang-Washington
relations.
Analysts say a satellite launch would solidify Kim's leadership amid a stalemate
in multinational talks aimed at compensating the North for its denuclearization.
They also suggest the alleged missile preparations are a ploy to attract the
attention of new U.S. President Barack Obama, whose newly named point man on
North Korea, Stephen Bosworth, will travel to Asia next week.
Missile experts say the North is likely to have advanced its fuel technology and
is possibly able to load solid fuel into all parts of its multi-stage long-range
missile. They also suggest the communist state has dug out an underground fueling
station to make it more difficult for U.S. satellites to predict launch timing.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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