National Intelligence Service chief Won Sei-hoon said yesterday it is possible for North Korea to test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile.

In a closed-door meeting of the parliamentary Intelligence Committee, the NIS director said the possibility of the North test-firing an ICBM after its second nuke test was "unpredictable, but it is projected to be likely," said members of the committee.

According to Won`s report to the committee, the North informed the United States at 9:30 a.m. on Monday that it would proceed with the nuke test if the United Nations Security Council does not apologize. The communist country made the same overture to China through the Chinese Embassy at 9:25 a.m. on the same day.



South Korea informed the United States that it detected a seismic wave, to which the United States replied that it received a report about a nuke testing from North Korea, said Won, adding that China did not give confirmation on whether it also received a report from the North.

"The country launched a surface to ship missile at 5 p.m. Monday and it may fire additional missiles," he said. "(But) missile launching is not a program that is related to nuke testing."

In a related event, the Foreign Affairs, Trade and Unification Committee passed a resolution, a similar version of the one adopted by the Defense Committee on Monday, to condemn the North`s second nuke testing in an emergency meeting yesterday.

Stating that the act was a clear violation of the UNSC Resolution 1718 which bans the North`s new nuclear test, it warned that "(the North) can`t achieve any moral obligation or objective through its provocative act and it will only threaten the nation`s own security."

The resolution urged the North to immediately dismantle all of its nuke-related facilities and programs and return to all talks, including the six-party talks. It also pressed the government to set a resolute stance with the United Nations and other involved nations to draft countermeasures on the North`s attempt of nuke possession.

After passing the resolution, debates between lawmakers and government officials spiced up as the conversation focused on the government`s decision to join the Proliferation Security Initiative.

Rep. Song Min-soon of the main opposition Democratic Party, a former Foreign Affairs minister, said the government should not move out of impulse, but should choose a more effective method, like close cooperation with China, a country that has a lot of influence on the North.

"I acknowledged the fact that joining PSI may have been an inevitable move for the government, but it should have held a pre-discussion with other six-party members, especially China," said GNP four-term lawmaker Nam Kyung-pil.

The DP has expressed opposition over Seoul becoming a full member of PSI, while the GNP has supported the move.

Meanwhile, top officials from the ruling party, government and Cheong Wa Dae, including Prime Minister Han Seung-soo and GNP Chairman Park Hee-tae, will meet today to hold further discussions on the issue.

By Cho Ji-hyun



(sharon@heraldm.com)