Washington pre-notified Seoul of N.K. nuke test: spy chief

SEOUL, May 26 (Yonhap) -- The United States had informed South Korea in advance
of Pyongyang's latest nuclear test, Seoul's spy agency chief said Tuesday, adding
China also knew but had not notified Seoul.

Pyongyang said it conducted an underground nuclear test early Monday. The North
detonated a nuclear device in October 2006 in its first-ever nuclear experiment.
"We were pre-notified by the U.S. that the North will conduct a nuclear test,"
Won Sei-hoon, director of the National Intelligence Service, was quoted as saying
at a meeting with the National Assembly's intelligence committee.
Won said that the South Korean government did not receive any information from
China, according to Rep. Park Young-sun of the opposition Democratic Party who
was present at the closed-door meeting.
"Our weather agency detected seismic activity (in the North) and relayed the
information to the U.S. at 10:18 a.m," said Won.
According to Won, a North Korean diplomat in New York notified the U.S. at around
9:30 a.m. Monday of his country's plan for a nuclear test unless the U.N.
Security Council apologizes to Pyongyang for condemning the North's April 5
rocket launch.
Beijing was informed of the test at 9:25 a.m. through an embassy, according to Won.
North Korea had warned late last month that it will to ahead with nuclear and
missile tests unless the U.N. Security Council apologizes for its punitive
actions against Pyongyang.
Won also told lawmakers that North Korea fired anti-ship cruise missiles from
Wonsan at around 5 p.m. Monday and that he believes Pyongyang could carry out
additional missile launches.
odissy@yna.co.kr
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