Ahead of Obama’s Visit, S Korea: North May be Close to Nuclear Test

Local Editor

North Korea could well be preparing to carry out a fourth nuclear test, South Korea said Tuesday, citing increased activity at its main test site just days ahead of a visit to Seoul by US President Barack Obama.

"Our military is currently detecting a lot of activity in and around the Punggye-ri nuclear test site," defense ministry spokesman Kim Min-Seok told a press briefing.
Kim stressed that North Korea's nuclear weapons program was at a stage where it could conduct a test "at any moment" once the order was given by the leadership in Pyongyang.

North Korea has conducted three nuclear tests - in 2006, 2009 and 2013 - all at the Punggye-ri site in the northeast of the country.

Kim declined to give details of the monitored activity, but cautioned that it may be no more than a "deception tactic" to raise tensions ahead of Obama's visit which is due to begin on Friday.
"We are thinking of possibilities that the North may stage a surprise nuclear test or just pretend to stage a nuclear test," Kim said.

Obama is visiting Seoul as part of an Asia tour, and there has been widespread speculation that the North may stage a provocation to coincide with the trip.
Kim said the South Korean and US militaries were closely sharing intelligence and Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff had set up a special task force in case Pyongyang goes ahead with an underground detonation.

"We plan to thoroughly prepare for a fourth nuclear test or any other form of provocation," Kim said.
On Monday, Pyongyang slammed Obama's upcoming trip as a "dangerous" move that would escalate military tension and bring the "dark clouds of a nuclear arms race" over the Korean peninsula.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team