It is sequel to information that North Korea is preparing to launch a ballistic missile.
The authorities in South Korea yesterday, April 10, 2013 announced that they were raising the country’s security alert level to ‘vital threat,’ BBC reported. The measure followed information that North Korea was preparing to launch a ballistic missile after weeks of threats against South Korea, Japan and US military bases in the region. The UN recently imposed sanctions on Pyongyang over its nuclear weapons programme.
In anticipation, the South Korea-US Combined Forces raised their alert level to ‘Watchcon 3’ to increase surveillance monitoring, the Yonhap news agency quoted a senior military official as saying. A senior South Korean Defence Ministry official said North Korea had completed preparations for a missile test that could take place at anytime, Al Jazeera TV said. The official admitted that the North's military was capable of conducting multiple missile launches involving Scud and medium-range Rodong missiles.
Meanwhile, China on Tuesday said it opposed any action that would aggravate tensions on the Korean Peninsula, CCTV reported. Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Hong Lei said China has consistently advocated for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia. China, he said, promotes the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, and calls on all parties to resolve problems through dialogue and consultation. In a similar development, Chinese tourism authorities yesterday told travel agencies to call off some visits to North Korea amid escalating tensions in the peninsula.
Admiral Samuel Locklear, the Commander of US Forces in the Pacific region, said they believed North Korea moved an unspecified number of Musudan missiles to its east coast. Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary General – also a former South Korean Foreign Minister - said he was deeply concerned and troubled at the level of tension in the Korean Peninsula. He warned that any small incident caused by miscalculation or misjudgement could create an uncontrollable situation.
