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China-Japan-Koreas
NKor missile launch not imminent, SKors defence minister sez
2006-06-23
SEOUL - North Korea’s planned test-firing of a long-range missile is not imminent, South Korea’s Defence Minister said Thursday, easing widespread international jitters over a feared early launch. “There are many processes to go through before firing such a missile. Given this, it (an imminent firing) is not the case,” Defence Minister Yoon Kwang-ung told a parliamentary hearing, the South’s Yonhap news agency reported.

“There have been no additional substantial moves towards a missile launch during the last several days,” said the official engaged in handling dialogue with North Korea, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

On the same day a Korean-language newspaper in Japan, which has been used in the past as a mouthpiece by the North Korean regime, suggested that a launch had already been put back. The Chosun Sinbo, published by pro-Pyongyang Koreans in Japan, said North Korea intended to launch a satellite rather than a missile and that the launch “can take place anytime. It may come in a month or in a year.”
Of course, you usually tell everyone you're going to launch a satellite just so as to allieviate concerns ...
But defense minister Yoon, asked about the satellite claim, said it was not right to say the move is designed to prepare to put a satellite into orbit. South Korea, which has been slow to criticize North Korea in the past, has also threatened to withhold rice and fertilizer aid if a test goes ahead.
Posted by:Steve White

#6  The Norks de facto firing their missle could potentially be the equiv. of Radical Iran joining the Shanghai Coop, i.e. a subtle shadow warning to SCO boss states Russia-China. Iran is going hell-bent for Iran-centric Regional later Global Shia-Islamist Empire, and in LT will NOT accept being a minor SCO partner-state perennially dominated by Russia-China. NORTH KOREA > the GWOT may truly be their one and only chance to break free of mainland Commie China's grip, as right now NK is just an expendable, PC, un-annexed Potemkinist Chinese province!?
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2006-06-23 22:23  

#5  Don't they say the same thing before each missle launch?
Posted by: Captain America   2006-06-23 20:19  

#4  The Sorks are scared to death the North is going to collapse and saddle the South with the cost of reunification. Take it from someone who lives here, the Sorks don't give a flying about what Kimmie's doing in the North. All they're concerned about is making more money and South Korea's World Cup chances. That a lot of their Nkor brothers and sisters are in Kimmie's gulag up there starving to death isn't even on the radar screen, much less front and center.
Posted by: mac   2006-06-23 16:19  

#3  Send us money or else we keep screeching, take that GeeRim and Flord!
Posted by: 6   2006-06-23 12:26  

#2  Does everyone in the world forget ChamberlinÂ’s famous signing of a “peace” treaty with Adolf Hitler? Dictators donÂ’t understand peace they understand force and kim Jong Il is a Dictator. It would be ironic justice if the Norks popped off that missile and it mistakenly hit this idiot's house with him in it.
Posted by: Cyber Sarge   2006-06-23 11:42  

#1  Yeah, they only fueled it up and put it on the launch pad. No biggie. That doesn't mean they intend to fire it off.

This guy should be a terrorism defense lawer.
Posted by: bigjim-ky   2006-06-23 10:07  

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