North Korea is gearing up to test several medium-range ballistic missiles, the Associated Press reported today (see GSN, June 1).
(Jun. 2) -
North Korea's Unha 2 rocket lifts off on April 5. Pyongyang is preparing to test-launch several more missiles (Getty Images).
"Many vehicles mounted with mobile launchers are being spotted" in eastern North Korea, a South Korean official told the Yonhap News Agency. "It looks like at least three missiles will be launched."
The latest news follows reports yesterday that a Taepodong 2 ICBM had been transported by rail to a known launch site on the nation's west coast. The Stalinist state last week conducted its second nuclear test and test-fired several short-range missiles (see related GSN story, today; Eric Talmadge, Associated Press/Taiwan News, June 2).
The medium-range missiles could be either the Rodong model, which is capable of striking targets within 800 miles, or a new weapon with more than twice that range, Agence France-Presse reported (Agence France-Presse/NASDAQ.com, June 2).