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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| N Korea 'builds new missile site' | N Korea 'builds new missile site' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| North Korea is close to completing a second launch site for long-range missiles, reports say. | North Korea is close to completing a second launch site for long-range missiles, reports say. |
| The existence of the site, said to be 30 miles (50km) from the Chinese border, was made public by an analyst using satellite imagery. | The existence of the site, said to be 30 miles (50km) from the Chinese border, was made public by an analyst using satellite imagery. |
| Reports say South Korea's defence minister Lee Sang-Hee told a closed-door parliamentary session that the project was about 80% completed. | Reports say South Korea's defence minister Lee Sang-Hee told a closed-door parliamentary session that the project was about 80% completed. |
| "We're watching it closely," he was quoted as saying by AFP news agency. | "We're watching it closely," he was quoted as saying by AFP news agency. |
| The site's construction does not breach any international agreement. | The site's construction does not breach any international agreement. |
| A US official told CNN that the intelligence community had known about the secret facility for several years and was monitoring it closely. | A US official told CNN that the intelligence community had known about the secret facility for several years and was monitoring it closely. |
| 'More sophisticated' | 'More sophisticated' |
| Joseph Bermudez, a senior analyst at Jane's Intelligence Group, located the Tongch'ang-dong site earlier this year with the help of a private satellite imagery analysis company, Talent-keyhole.com. | Joseph Bermudez, a senior analyst at Jane's Intelligence Group, located the Tongch'ang-dong site earlier this year with the help of a private satellite imagery analysis company, Talent-keyhole.com. |
| It is built on the site of a small village called Pongdong-ni which, he said, was displaced during construction. | It is built on the site of a small village called Pongdong-ni which, he said, was displaced during construction. |
| It has not yet been used and could take another one to two years to complete, Mr Bermudez said. | |
| However, it is larger, more costly and more sophisticated than the Musudan-ri launch site on North Korea's east coast, Mr Bermudez was quoted by CNN as saying. | However, it is larger, more costly and more sophisticated than the Musudan-ri launch site on North Korea's east coast, Mr Bermudez was quoted by CNN as saying. |
| "This is a national programme in their desire to expand both their space launch and ballistic missile launch programmes," he said. | "This is a national programme in their desire to expand both their space launch and ballistic missile launch programmes," he said. |
| BBC diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus says the location in itself does not significantly alter the range of targets that North Korea could potentially strike. | BBC diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus says the location in itself does not significantly alter the range of targets that North Korea could potentially strike. |
| But the existence of the base is a clear sign that North Korea's missile programme is active. | But the existence of the base is a clear sign that North Korea's missile programme is active. |
| Western experts believe that Pyongyang's ultimate goal is to have an inter-continental range system that could potentially deliver a nuclear pay-load, our correspondent adds. | Western experts believe that Pyongyang's ultimate goal is to have an inter-continental range system that could potentially deliver a nuclear pay-load, our correspondent adds. |
| North Korea used Musudan-ri to launch a Taepodong-1 missile in 1998 over Japan. A Taepodong-2 missile was launched from there in 2006, but it failed. | North Korea used Musudan-ri to launch a Taepodong-1 missile in 1998 over Japan. A Taepodong-2 missile was launched from there in 2006, but it failed. |
| News of the missile site comes as international efforts to urge North Korea to abandon its nuclear programme are at an impasse. | News of the missile site comes as international efforts to urge North Korea to abandon its nuclear programme are at an impasse. |
| North Korea agreed in February 2007 to give up its nuclear ambitions in return for aid and diplomatic concessions, but the progress of the deal has been far from smooth. | North Korea agreed in February 2007 to give up its nuclear ambitions in return for aid and diplomatic concessions, but the progress of the deal has been far from smooth. |
| After a long delay, Pyongyang handed over details of its nuclear facilities in June 2008. In return, it expected the US to remove it from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. | After a long delay, Pyongyang handed over details of its nuclear facilities in June 2008. In return, it expected the US to remove it from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. |
| But the two sides cannot agree on a process to verify the information that North Korea handed over and Pyongyang now appears to be starting to reassemble its main nuclear plant. | But the two sides cannot agree on a process to verify the information that North Korea handed over and Pyongyang now appears to be starting to reassemble its main nuclear plant. |