July 7 headlines regaring NK missiles

- The air route of Asian Airline OZ 235, which left Chicago and bound for Incheon, indicates the airline was flying the sky over the East Sea, just twenty minutes before the regime test fired its first missile. The government is under criticism for not taking any necessary measures, such as grounding airlines or ships. The airline says it received no warning from the government.

- In an off-the-record report to the information committee of the National Assembly, the National Intelligence Service said North Korea had been spotted to move two Taepodong 2 from Pyongyang to Musudanri early May, so if and when it overcomes technical defects of the missile, it might test fire the remaining Taepodong 2.

- According to the NIS, Taepodong 2 flied for 7 minutes contrary to previously known 40 seconds. The missile went out of the orbit 40 seconds after being launched, but flied 499km for 7 minutes.

- In its first official response since the missile launch, North Korea announced, “this successful missile launch is part of ordinary military grill for increasing military capability for self-defense.” “Like we did this time, we will continue testing flight of our missiles.” Unlike 1998, the North didn’t argue it was a satellite.

- Unlike a relatively calm market behavior on the day North Korea fired missiles, Kospi dipped 1.24 per cent to 15.89 point yesterday and foreign investors started their selling spree by net disposing W 77.3 bn of Korean shares.

- Chung Tae-ho, press secretary to Cheong Wa Dae, said President Roh and US President Bush on July 6 had 10 minutes telephone conversation from 7:50 am and agreed that North Korea’s missile launch was a serious act of provocation and that the two countries would have close consultation and solve the problem through diplomatic efforts.

- The Ministry of Construction and Transportation ordered today passenger jets using Kamchatka air route to fly along the Pacific Ocean route for the time being amid intelligence pointing to a possible another missile launch by the North.

- Intelligence gathered by the US and Korea shows Kim Jung-il is said to have visited the military 12 times last month and 41 times from January to June this year twice the same period last year. A government official said a helicopter suspected of carrying Kim Jung-il had been spotted to land Musudanri but another official denied “there is nothing confirmed regarding Kim’s visit to the place.”

- It is reported that North Korea had offered South Korea, two days before its test fire, to convene working-level talks in the run up to inter-Korean ministerial talks. The North is reported to have suggested a July 7 meeting in Panmunjum but the South postponed the meeting on July 6 apparently due to the missile launch.

- GNP lawmaker Chung Hyung-geun argued, “it is necessary for former President Kim Dae-joong to visit North Korea now in order to ease tension between the two countries. In an radio interview, he said “for his visit to be successful, the Roh government should give vigor to the former president.” “Currently the North is not very happy about Kim’ visit, and I think that is because Mr. Kim is not in a position to make a policy to support or give assistance to North Korea” “Like the US, we need to have a special envoy to get North Korea back to the negotiating table and I don’t know why the government doesn’t do that.”