South Korean and U.S. intelligence have detected a series of unidentified movements near the site of a North Korean nuclear test in October, but there are no reasons or evidence to believe such activities are related to preparations for another test, an official at the Foreign Ministry said Friday.
The government also believes the North is unlikely to set off another nuclear bomb in the near future, the official told reporters, while speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.
The official was commenting on a report by U.S. television network ABC earlier this week that the North appears to be preparing another nuclear weapons test.
"We think they've put everything in place to conduct a test without any notice or warning," ABC News quoted an unidentified U.S. defense official as saying.
South Korean officials, however, said the issue is not a matter of possibility, but willingness.
"Unconfirmed activities have been detected near the North's suspected nuclear test facility, but currently there are no immediate signs related to an additional nuclear weapons test," the ministry official said.
The official said the activities near the test site have been witnessed for "an extended period of time," adding the communist state has not made any new or extraordinary movements in recent days.
An intelligence official earlier told Yonhap News Agency that vehicle and personnel movements were being detected at the suspected nuclear test site, while speaking on the usual condition of anonymity.
North Korea shocked the world by conducting its first-ever nuclear weapons test on Oct. 9.
The communist state is under U.N. financial and weapons-related sanctions for its multiple missile launches in July and the nuclear weapons test.
A government official said Pyongyang, as proven by the Oct. 9 test, has the technology to set of a nuclear explosion, but questioned its willingness to do so.
"North Korea has proven its capability to conduct nuclear tests, but the question is why (or whether) the North would conduct one at this point of time," the official said, while asking not to be identified.
North Korea returned to international negotiations over its nuclear weapons program last month, ending its 13-month boycott.
The nuclear talks ended without any clear breakthrough, but they are widely expected to be resumed at an early date.
The talks involve the two Koreas, the U.S., Japan, China and Russia.
Seoul, Jan. 5 (Yonhap News)
Seoul sees no immediate signs of second N. Korean nuclear test |
