The United States warned North Korea it was skating a "dangerous line", as South Korea remained on heightened alert for any missile test that could start a whole new cycle of tensions in a region already on a hair-trigger.
G8 foreign ministers meeting in London drove home the message, condemning "in the strongest possible terms" the North's nuclear activities and threats to the region.
Guam has raised its official threat level and tested its emergency alert system after warnings from North Korea identifying the island as a potential missile target, according to news agency AFP.
With a North Korean missile test expected at any time, authorities said the US territory in the western Pacific was on yellow alert, the middle phase of a three-step "traffic light" system comprising green, yellow and red levels.
Seoul has announced it is ready to activate its Patriot PAC2 missile defence system. The statement said the interceptor missiles cannot cover all of South Korea, but will protect everything within its reach. The missile system is deployed around Seoul, and is believed to have a reach of up to 30km.
There are reports that South Korean army officials believe North Korea is in the process of moving its missile launchers on the coast of the Sea of Japan to cause confusion among US, Japanese and South Korean intelligence agencies.
A Japanse official has told NBC News that the missile spotted in a firing posture could be the "Musudan" medium range type.
This missile has a potential range of up to 4000km, placing all of Japan and the United States base on the island of Guam within its reach.
Read more: Missile spotted in 'launch position', United States and South Korean armed forces placed at 'vital alert' Watchcon 2 | News.com.au
No comments:
Post a Comment