NK remains ready to test nuclear devices: Official

[benihime99.livejournal.com]

North Korea remains ready to test nuclear devices or fire missiles with only brief preparation, a Seoul official said Friday, though such action does not appear to be imminent. In a defense policy briefing, a senior defense ministry official said North Korea "has maintained a state in which it can carry out a nuclear or missile test with only one or two months of additional preparation."

"We believe the possibility exists for a sudden provocation by North Korea, as Pyongyang seeks to achieve its own political goals," the official said. "But at the moment, we have not identified any unusual signs that missile or nuclear tests are imminent."

To ensure a soft landing for the new Kim Jong-un regime, North Korea also met with Japan in Beijing to discuss the abduction of Japanese nationals to North Korea on Jan. 9, the official added. The North is also set to hold a third round of high-level nuclear talks in Beijing next week. Pyongyang and Washington may also meet around April to discuss recovering remains of soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War, the official added. In the meantime, North Korea has continued to criticize the South Korean government, joint Korea-U.S. military drills and Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin.

"The North has resumed its annual winter military exercises, which were put on hold around the death of former leader Kim Jong-il (in December)," the official said. "The military there is also preparing for a large parade for the birthday of the country's founder Kim Il-sung on April 15 and the founding anniversary of the military on April 25."

Another ministry official said the South will look to maintain its strong alliance with the U.S. this year.

"We are pushing for 'two-plus-two' security talks this year, involving defense and foreign ministers of the two countries," the official said. "We first held such a meeting in 2010. It will serve as an opportunity for us to demonstrate our alliance's strong determination to protect the Korean Peninsula and to discuss outstanding security issues."

The official stressed that the U.S. will stay committed to South Korea despite its major defense budget cuts.

"The U.S. will maintain the size of its forces stationed here and there will be no change to the size of reinforcements to Korea in contingencies," the official said. "The two countries will maintain close cooperation and coordination at all levels."

About 28,500 U.S. troops are serving in South Korea, a legacy of the Korean War that ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty. (Yonhap)

Source: Koreatimes