SEOUL (Reuters) -- The leaders of South Korea and the United States told North Korea to drop its atomic ambitions and stop threatening the region while media reports have said Pyongyang was moving ahead with plans to launch a long-range missile.
After a summit with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak in Washington on June 16, U.S. President Barack Obama said a nuclear-armed North Korea would pose a "grave threat" to the world. He vowed new UN sanctions imposed for North Korea's May 25 nuclear test would be strictly enforced.
"Given the belligerent manner in which they are constantly threatening their neighbors, I don't think there's any question that that would be a destabilizing situation that would be a profound threat to not only the United States' security, but to world security," Obama said at a news conference.
Obama promised to end a cycle of allowing North Korea to create a nuclear crisis, then be given concessions in the form of food, fuel, and other incentives in return for Pyongyang backing down, only to later see it renege on its promises.
"This is a pattern they've come to expect," Obama said. "We are going to break that pattern."
Obama also reaffirmed Washington's commitment to the defense of South Korea, including keeping it under the U.S. "nuclear umbrella," a move likely to anger Pyongyang, which accuses Washington of scheming to mount a nuclear attack against it.
Analysts say the North's provocative moves are partly aimed at building internal support for leader Kim Jong Il, who appears to be laying the foundation for his youngest son to eventually take over the impoverished nation. The 67-year-old leader is believed to have suffered a stroke last year.
Missile Train On The Move
North Korea has also threatened to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile after being earlier punished for a long-range rocket launch in April, which was widely seen as a disguised missile test that violated UN resolutions.
A South Korean newspaper said the North's special train for moving intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) had made a trip to an east-coast missile base, weeks after it was seen moving a missile to a new site on the west coast.
U.S. and South Korean authorities believe the train may have moved a long-range rocket to the Musudan-ri base on the east coast, used to launch two long-range rockets in the past, the "Chosun Ilbo" newspaper said.
"A U.S. spy satellite spotted a special ICBM transport train moving from the manufacturing plant [near Pyongyang] to the Musudan-ri test site and staying there for a few days before returning," it quoted a government source as saying.
The rocket launched in April flew about 3,000 kilometers, well short of the 4,800 kilometers needed to reach the Alaskan coast. The rocket, called the Taepodong-2, is designed to fly as far as U.S. territory. Experts say the North needs more testing to increase the range and reliability of its long-range missiles.
Japan's "Sankei" newspaper, which did not cite any sources, said there was activity at missile bases on both coasts that appear to be preparations for launches.
The moves at one site could be a ruse aimed at confusing U.S. and Japanese intelligence, it said.
South Korean officials have said intelligence reports indicated the North could launch an ICBM this month.
Prickly North Korea rattled the region over the weekend when it responded to the UN sanctions over its nuclear test by saying it would start a uranium-enrichment program and weaponize all its plutonium.
After a summit with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak in Washington on June 16, U.S. President Barack Obama said a nuclear-armed North Korea would pose a "grave threat" to the world. He vowed new UN sanctions imposed for North Korea's May 25 nuclear test would be strictly enforced.
"Given the belligerent manner in which they are constantly threatening their neighbors, I don't think there's any question that that would be a destabilizing situation that would be a profound threat to not only the United States' security, but to world security," Obama said at a news conference.
Obama promised to end a cycle of allowing North Korea to create a nuclear crisis, then be given concessions in the form of food, fuel, and other incentives in return for Pyongyang backing down, only to later see it renege on its promises.
"This is a pattern they've come to expect," Obama said. "We are going to break that pattern."
Obama also reaffirmed Washington's commitment to the defense of South Korea, including keeping it under the U.S. "nuclear umbrella," a move likely to anger Pyongyang, which accuses Washington of scheming to mount a nuclear attack against it.
Analysts say the North's provocative moves are partly aimed at building internal support for leader Kim Jong Il, who appears to be laying the foundation for his youngest son to eventually take over the impoverished nation. The 67-year-old leader is believed to have suffered a stroke last year.
Missile Train On The Move
North Korea has also threatened to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile after being earlier punished for a long-range rocket launch in April, which was widely seen as a disguised missile test that violated UN resolutions.
A South Korean newspaper said the North's special train for moving intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) had made a trip to an east-coast missile base, weeks after it was seen moving a missile to a new site on the west coast.
U.S. and South Korean authorities believe the train may have moved a long-range rocket to the Musudan-ri base on the east coast, used to launch two long-range rockets in the past, the "Chosun Ilbo" newspaper said.
"A U.S. spy satellite spotted a special ICBM transport train moving from the manufacturing plant [near Pyongyang] to the Musudan-ri test site and staying there for a few days before returning," it quoted a government source as saying.
The rocket launched in April flew about 3,000 kilometers, well short of the 4,800 kilometers needed to reach the Alaskan coast. The rocket, called the Taepodong-2, is designed to fly as far as U.S. territory. Experts say the North needs more testing to increase the range and reliability of its long-range missiles.
Japan's "Sankei" newspaper, which did not cite any sources, said there was activity at missile bases on both coasts that appear to be preparations for launches.
The moves at one site could be a ruse aimed at confusing U.S. and Japanese intelligence, it said.
South Korean officials have said intelligence reports indicated the North could launch an ICBM this month.
Prickly North Korea rattled the region over the weekend when it responded to the UN sanctions over its nuclear test by saying it would start a uranium-enrichment program and weaponize all its plutonium.