SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea appears to be preparing to test an advanced missile designed to reach the United States, a U.S. official said Monday, ratcheting up tensions after its second underground nuclear test.
North Korea also reportedly bolstered its defenses and conducted amphibious assault exercises along its western shore near disputed waters where deadly naval clashes with the South have occurred in the past decade.
Satellite images and other intelligence indicated that the North had transported its most advanced long-range missile to the new Dongchang-ni facility near China and could be ready to fire it in the next week or so, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported.
A U.S. official confirmed the Yonhap report and said the missile was moved by train, although he did not comment on where it was moved. The official said it could be more than a week before Pyongyang is ready to launch. He spoke on condition of anonymity because the issue involves intelligence.
The United Nations Security Council is considering punitive action for North Korea’s May 25 nuclear test, and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and President Barack Obama are to meet in Washington on June 16.
The missile being prepared for launch is believed to be an intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of up to 4,000 miles, the JoongAng Ilbo newspaper reported, citing an unnamed South Korean official.
That distance would put Alaska and U.S. bases on the Pacific island of Guam — along with all of Japan — within striking range.
Even so, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, visiting Manila, in the Philippines, said that although North Korea does appear to be working on its long-range missiles, its plans for them are unclear.
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