Military officials gather intelligence that North Korea is assembling long-range missiles

Image: Yonhap

Using government sources, the Hankook Ilbo reported on January 29 on the discovery of what appeared to be a freight train containing long-range missiles parts heading toward North Pyongan Province Cholsan County's Dongchang-ri, which is located on the Cholsan Peninsula in North Korea. 

According to this report, the said freight train hasn't arrived at Dongchang-ri yet. However, as it usually takes around ten days for the missiles to be assembled and secured on the launching pad, it appears as though the missiles will not be ready for launching until around Lunar New Year's. Currently, North Korea's long-range missiles are said to possess a range of 10,000km (~6,213 miles). 

North Korea was reported to have set up a cover all around the passage to the launching site and its vicinity in order to avoid the watchful eyes of the information gathering satellites. Due to these covers, difficulties arose in determining the exact movement of the freight train; however, military officials managed to discover heavier activity and movements of military forces and vehicles in the North. 

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Kim Min Seok, a spokesperson of the Ministry of National Defense stated, "We are keeping an eye out for any possibility of the North launching long-range missiles. It's a serious provocative action that threatens peace and safety. We believe that the North has yet to announced their no-flight zone. Once we capture the signs of missile launching, plan to discuss the issue with the government make an announcement."