There are no particular signs that North Korea is preparing for a second nuclear test, officials in South Korea and Japan said yesterday, dismissing a US television news report.
ABC News reported on Thursday that the communist regime appeared to have made preparations for another nuclear test and that the preparations were similar to the steps Pyongyang took before its first nuclear detonation on Oct. 9. The report cited unnamed US defense officials.
"Some unidentified activities have been detected around a suspected test site but so far there are no particular indications directly linked to an additional nuclear test," said Cho Hee-yong, a spokesman for South Korea's Foreign Ministry.
A Western diplomat based in Seoul who is close to North Korean affairs also dismissed the ABC report, saying no specific evidence or movement has been detected to suggest the North is preparing for a second test, former South Korean lawmaker Jang Sung-min said.
Jang declined to identify the diplomat, citing the sensitivity of the issue.
In Tokyo, Japan's top government spokesman refused to comment on its intelligence gathering.
"We gather every possible piece of intelligence on these matters and exchange information with the involved nations through close contact, but refrain from commenting on our judgment of its content," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki said.
However, a Defense Agency spokeswoman, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the agency had not seen any information that would indicate test preparations were under way.
Meanwhile, a South Korean military intelligence official said vehicle and personnel activities are constantly spotted at a suspected test site but that it was too early to say whether they indicated an imminent nuclear test, Yonhap news agency reported.
The official, whom Yonhap didn't name, also said no power outlets or communication cables have been detected at the suspected site.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it could not comment on intelligence matters.
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