Third nuclear test possible after rocket launch: source


China’s Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said Sunday that Beijing is “troubled” by North Korea’s planned rocket launch, after having a trilateral meeting with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts in the Chinese city of Ningbo.

“We considered and exchanged views about the situation on the Korean peninsula, including the announcement by the DPRK that they plan to launch a satellite,” Yang told reporters at a press briefing in Ningbo. DPRK is the North’s formal name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

“The Chinese side is troubled by the developments, and strongly encourages everyone involved on all sides, at high and low levels, to remain clam and reasonable.”

North Korea’s plans its satellite launch sometime between April 12 and 16. The U.S. and its allies say it is a pretext for testing a long-range ballistic missile which would violate U.N. Security Council resolutions and break the U.S.-North deal reached on Feb. 29.

South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan said the rocket launch would make it more difficult for the North to rejoin the international community, while Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba said the three top diplomats discussed how to work together to stop the North’s provocative move.

Both Japan and South Korea have warned that they will shoot down the North Korean rocket if it threatens their respective territory.

On Sunday, a source warned that the North is likely to conduct a third nuclear test after going ahead with its planned rocket launch, citing commercial satellite photos of a nuclear facility site in Punggye-ri in North Hamgyeong Province taken on April 1.

“The North is secretly preparing a third nuclear test in Punggye-ri where it previously conducted two nuclear tests,” the source said on condition of anonymity.

The North conducted its first nuclear test in October 2006, three months after a launch of the Taepodong-2, and the second nuclear test in May 2009, one month after a long-range missile launch.

Earlier on Saturday in a bilateral meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan, Yang said Beijing would continue to urge Pyongyang to withdraw its plan to launch a satellite using a powerful rocket, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Cho Byung-jae told reporters.

“In response to a rocket launch, Yang also suggested close communication between Seoul, Beijing and the U.N.,” Cho said.

Kim called for China to play a greater role in handling the North’s rocket launch by delivering a strong and stern message to Pyongyang.

Kim said the North will be punished with sanctions if it goes ahead with the provocative move.

Kim also had a bilateral meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba and agreed that the two countries will seek ways at the U.N. Security Council to deal with the North’s rocket launch.

Regarding issues over South Korean sex slaves who served the Japanese military during the World War II and the sovereignty dispute over the Dokdo Islets, Kim called on Japan to admit historical facts and reflect on them.

In the trilateral meeting, the three also discussed a trilateral free trade agreement and preparations for the meeting of leaders of the three countries reportedly scheduled in May.

By Kim Yoon-mi (yoonmi@heraldcorp.com)