South Korea's defence chief said on April 4 that North Korea has moved to its east coast a missile with a "considerable" range, but that it was not capable of reaching the United States. The disclosure came as the Communist North's military warned that it was ready to strike US military forces with "cutting-edge smaller, lighter and diversified nuclear strike means."
In its latest threat on April 4, North Korea did not name targets but said it was authorised to "take powerful practical military counteractions" against the threats from B-2 bombers from the US, B-52 bombers from Guam and F-22 Stealth jet fighters from Japan that have recently run missions over the Korean Peninsula during joint military exercises with South Korea.
"The moment of explosion is approaching fast," the General Staff of the North Korean People's Army said in a statement carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. "The US had better ponder over the prevailing grave situation."
Testifying before a parliamentary hearing, Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin of South Korea said the missile North Korea has moved to the east coast, possibly "for demonstration or for training," appeared not to be a KN-08, which analysts say is the closest thing North Korea has to an intercontinental ballistic missile. The missile was unveiled during a military parade in Pyongyang last April.
South Korean media quoted unnamed military sources as saying that the missile was a Musudan. Deployed around 2007, Musudan is a ballistic missile with a range of more than 1,900 miles, according to the South Korean Defense Ministry. Guam is nearly 2,200 miles from North Korea.
Army Col. Wee Yong-sub, deputy spokesman of the Defense Ministry, would only say that the South Korean and US military have been closely monitoring the movements of all North Korean missiles, including Musudan.
"Chances are not high that they will lead to a full-scale war," said Kim, the defense minister, referring to the North Korean threats.
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