DATE=6/18/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-250837
TITLE=NORTH KOREA MISSILE (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=JIM RANDLE
DATELINE=PENTAGON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO: U-S INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS SAY THEY HAVE DETECTED SIGNS 
THAT NORTH KOREA IS GETTING READY TO TEST LAUNCH ANOTHER MISSILE,
PERHAPS AN OCEAN-SPANNING VERSION OF ITS TAEPO DONG ROCKET. 
V-O-A'S JIM RANDLE REPORTS, THE OFFICIALS SAY THE TEST COULD COME
WITHIN A FEW MONTHS.

TEXT: WEAPONS EXPERTS SAY THE PREPARATIONS ARE VISIBLE TO SPY 
SATELLITES AND OTHER INTELLIGENCE GATHERING METHODS.  A NORTH 
KOREAN MISSILE TEST LAST AUGUST ANGERED JAPAN WHEN IT FLEW ACROSS
THAT COUNTRY AND STARTLED U-S INTELLIGENCE EXPERTS WHEN IT 
TRAVELED FARTHER THAN EXPECTED OUT INTO THE PACIFIC.

NOW MISSILE EXPERTS SAY NORTH KOREA MAY BE READYING A TEST OF ITS
TAEPO DONG TWO, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO HAVE EVEN LONGER RANGE.

THE ALLEGED TEST PREPARATIONS COME AT A TIME OF HEIGHTENED 
TENSIONS ON THE KOREAN PENINSULA, FOLLOWING CLASHES BETWEEN 
SOUTHERN AND NORTHERN PATROL BOATS THAT SAW ONE SMALL NORTH 
KOREAN SHIP SUNK BY GUNFIRE AND SEVERAL OTHERS DAMAGED.

PENTAGON SPOKESMAN MIKE DOUBLEDAY SAYS THE TEST OF A POTENTIALLY 
POWERFUL WEAPON COULD MAKE TENSIONS EVEN WORSE.  

                      ///  DOUBLEDAY ACT ///

  IT CERTAINLY WOULD  NOT  BE HELPFUL TO THE OVERALL STABILITY OF
THE REGION TO HAVE ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE TAEPO DONG LAUNCH TESTS.

                         /// END ACT ///

U-S OFFICIALS SAY A MISSILE TEST MAY CAUSE POLITICAL PROBLEMS FOR
NORTH KOREA.  

JAPAN AND THE UNITED STATES COULD CANCEL PLANS TO BUILD BILLIONS 
OF DOLLARS WORTH OF NUCLEAR REACTORS FOR NORTH KOREA THAT PROVIDE
ELECTRIC POWER BUT ARE NOT GOOD FOR PRODUCING MATERIALS FOR 
NUCLEAR WEAPONS.   THE REACTOR PROJECT CAME IN EXCHANGE FOR A 
NORTH KOREAN PROMISE TO STOP WORK ON ITS ENERGETIC NUCLEAR 
WEAPONS PROGRAM. 

A MISSILE TEST COULD ALSO WRECK RECENT U-S DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS BY 
FORMER U-S DEFENSE SECRETARY WILLIAM PERRY TO CURB THE NORTH'S 
NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND BALLISTIC MISSILE PROGRAMS IN EXCHANGE FOR 
REDUCED SANCTIONS AGAINST NORTH KOREA'S TROUBLED ECONOMY.  
(SIGNED). 

NEB/JR/GM

18-Jun-99 5:07 PM EDT (2107 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.