Seoul insists North Korean missile launch not imminent

South Korea's defense minister reiterated his country's position that North Korea was not ready to launch a ballistic missile test.

"It is our judgment that a launch is not imminent," Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung is quoted as saying.


Protesters in Seoul carry a model North Korean missile and shout slogans on June 22, 2006. AP/Lee Jin-man photo from Yahoo News.

Experts disagree on whether fueling of the missiles indicates that a missile test is imminent. Liquid rocket fuel tends to be highly corrosive and is not generally stored in the missile. However, it is possible that the country may be practicing fueling operations.

Japan has sent reconnaissance aircraft and naval ships to monitor the situation and is preparing for a "worse case scenario" including the possibility that missile parts might fall over the nation's territory.