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S Korea worries over North's plan S Korea worries over North's plan
(about 11 hours later)
South Korea's President Lee Myung-bak has said North Korea's plan to launch a satellite is "a very serious concern".South Korea's President Lee Myung-bak has said North Korea's plan to launch a satellite is "a very serious concern".
In an interview with the Financial Times newspaper he said the launch could help the communist state acquire technology to deliver nuclear weapons. In an interview with the Financial Times newspaper, he said the launch could help the communist state acquire technology to deliver nuclear weapons.
He said everyone is agreed "it is not in anyone's interest to test-fire a missile, or whatever it is". Meanwhile, the US deployed two destroyers capable of tracking and intercepting missiles from South Korea.
North Korea says it will fire a rocket to launch a satellite for peaceful purposes between 4-8 April.North Korea says it will fire a rocket to launch a satellite for peaceful purposes between 4-8 April.
The United States, Japan and South Korea say this is a pretext for testing its Taepodong-2 missile. The United States, Japan and South Korea say the North will in fact use the launch to test its Taepodong-2 missile.
The US has said it has no plans to shoot down the North's launch, although Japan has positioned interceptors ready for action if any part of the rocket falls over Japanese territory.The US has said it has no plans to shoot down the North's launch, although Japan has positioned interceptors ready for action if any part of the rocket falls over Japanese territory.
Southern fearsSouthern fears
Mr Lee said that if the North had no nuclear programme, its stated plan would cause no qualms. Mr Lee said everyone was agreed that it was "not in anyone's interest to test-fire a missile, or whatever it is".
If the North had no nuclear programme, its stated plan would cause no qualms, he said.
North Korea's missile programme
"But the truth of the matter is North Korea does have a desire to develop nuclear weapons, so this does precisely make it a very serious concern for them to acquire the technology to deliver nuclear weapons," he told the newspaper."But the truth of the matter is North Korea does have a desire to develop nuclear weapons, so this does precisely make it a very serious concern for them to acquire the technology to deliver nuclear weapons," he told the newspaper.
Mr Lee declined to say whether he supports Japan's preparations to shoot down the rocket should it start falling towards Japanese territory, but said he opposes a military response in general to any launch.Mr Lee declined to say whether he supports Japan's preparations to shoot down the rocket should it start falling towards Japanese territory, but said he opposes a military response in general to any launch.
"What I do oppose is to militarily respond to these kind of actions," Mr Lee said. "What I do oppose is to militarily respond to these kind of actions," he said.
US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said the US would not attempt to shoot it down. A US spokesman said two destroyers were sent out from the South Korean port of Busan, without elaborating.
"I would say we're not prepared to do anything about it," he told Fox News Sunday. Local media said the ships would monitor the launch, after US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said American forces would not attempt to shoot it down.
class="" href="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/2564241.stm"> North Korea's missile programme "I would say we're not prepared to do anything about it," Mr Gates told Fox News Sunday.
"If we had an aberrant missile, one that looked like it was headed for Hawaii, we might consider it, but I don't think we have any plans to do anything like that at this point," said Mr Gates. "If we had an aberrant missile, one that looked like it was headed for Hawaii, we might consider it, but I don't think we have any plans to do anything like that at this point," he said.
Trust is 'gone' 'Trust gone'
In the newspaper interview, Mr Lee defended his rollback of the south's "sunshine" policy which had offered unconditional aid to the North. In the newspaper interview, Mr Lee defended his rollback of the South's "sunshine" policy which had offered unconditional aid to the North.
He acknowledged "some positive outcomes" from the sunshine policy but said the North is still working towards becoming a nuclear weapons state.He acknowledged "some positive outcomes" from the sunshine policy but said the North is still working towards becoming a nuclear weapons state.
"So the majority of people's trust in North Korea has gone down considerably," he said."So the majority of people's trust in North Korea has gone down considerably," he said.