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| ▲ National Intelligence Service officials and lawmakers attend a parliamentary intelligence committee meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul on Aug. 17, 2023. (Yonhap) |
N Korea-spy agency
N. Korea preparing ICBM launch or other provocations for S. Korea-U.S.-Japan summit: spy agency
SEOUL, Aug. 17 (Yonhap) -- North Korea is preparing to carry out various military provocations, including the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), on the occasion of the upcoming trilateral summit among South Korea, the United States and Japan or the South Korea-U.S. military exercise, a lawmaker said Thursday.
Rep. Yoo Sang-bum of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) made the remarks, citing what the National Intelligence Service (NIS) reported to a closed session of the parliamentary intelligence committee.
"Active activities of vehicles supporting ICBM launches have been detected in Pyongyang. We are continuously identifying signs of preparation for an ICBM launch, such as the frequent movements of propellants out of liquid fuel factories," Yoo said.
He also said the North is expected to conduct a joint military exercise, including the test launch of a missile that can be fitted with a tactical nuclear weapon, given the "unusually active" movements of vehicles detected around North Korea's solid-fuel missile production facilities.
Pyongyang could also carry out another launch of a military reconnaissance satellite in late August or early September ahead of the 75th anniversary of the regime's establishment on Sept. 9 if it succeeds in fixing the defects seen in its previous launch, he also said.
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