The images captured by U.S. satellites. The North's regime is moving military and ballistic missile equipment to a base in the north-west of the country. Pyongyang denies missile tests in the near future. Seoul commemorates the second anniversary of the North Korean bombing of Yeonpyeong island.

Seoul (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Pyongyang is preparing "to launch a long-range missile" in the context of a new military test in violation of the resolutions of the UN Security Council. This is what a Japanese newspaper reported today, citing intelligence sources which are the fruit of research and images captured by U.S. satellites. Meanwhile, on the same day, a South Korean island celebrates the second anniversary of the 2010 attack (see AsiaNews 11/23/2010 Pyongyang bombs South Korean island: houses destroyed, one dead), amidst the general concern of its citizens regarding the North's threats and the possibility of new bombings.

The Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun speaks of "the movement of components of long-range rocket carriers" from the military industry of Pyongyang, to a base for launching missiles in Tongchang-ri, in the north-west of the country, in early November. Washington has already "warned" Tokyo and Seoul, its economic and military partners in the area. The three countries also have "strengthened" surveillance devices and defense.

The images captured by satellite are similar to those recorded last April, on the eve of the (failed) missile launch by North Korea. According to the communist regime, the test was designed to put a satellite into orbit for telecommunications, but the carrier exploded a few seconds after departure. Recently, Pyongyang has stated repeatedly it has no plans for a ballistic test.

Today, meanwhile, South Korea commemorates the second anniversary of the attack on Yeonpyeong island, which took place November 23, 2010. For the occasion, Seoul has organized naval military exercises around the island, while not using live rounds to avoid "provoking" Pyongyang. The authorities have opened a museum with photos, 3D images and videos that tell of the bombing. In response, the Northern regime has "ridiculed" the celebrations and threatened "new attacks". "Our only regret", official sources allegedly said, "is that we didn't send the island 'to the bottom of the sea'."

The two Koreas are still formally at war, since a peace agreement to end the war in the 50s was never signed. After an attempt at reconciliation at the beginning of the new millennium, the fruit of the "Sunshine Policy" wished by Seoul, relations were ruptured again in recent years, after the South halted economic aid to the North, which in turn did nothing to stop its nuclear program. In 2010 there was the bombardment of Yeonpyeong island (four dead: two soldiers and two civilians) and months before that, the sinking of the Cheonan, which killed 46 South Korean sailors. Seoul pointed the finger at Pyongyang for both incidents, but the latter rejected the allegations and denied any responsibility. Sources told AsiaNews that the two operations were ordered by Kim Jong-un himself, the third leader of the Kim family regime, in his now victorious race for supreme power. 

 

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