N Korea conducts engine tests at new missile site
Wednesday, 17 September 2008
SEOUL, Sep 16 (AFP):North Korea has carried out rocket engine tests at a new long-range missile launch site which it is building on its west coast, a news report said today.
Chosun Ilbo newspaper, quoting intelligence sources, said the tests were presumably for the Taepodong-2 missile with a range of 6,700 kilometres (4,150 miles).
"A US spy satellite, KH-12, spotted that rocket engine tests took place at Tongchang-ri this year," one source told Chosun, adding the site was near completion and the engine test facility was already in operation.
Another source told the paper the communist North had sporadically conducted engine tests in a continued attempt to develop long-range missiles since its failed test- firing of a Taepodong-2 in July 2006.
North Korea has a separate site at Musudan-ri on the east cost which was used to launch a Taepodong-1 missile in 1998 over Japan. The Taepodong-2 missile was launched from there in 2006 but it failed.
Chosun Ilbo newspaper, quoting intelligence sources, said the tests were presumably for the Taepodong-2 missile with a range of 6,700 kilometres (4,150 miles).
"A US spy satellite, KH-12, spotted that rocket engine tests took place at Tongchang-ri this year," one source told Chosun, adding the site was near completion and the engine test facility was already in operation.
Another source told the paper the communist North had sporadically conducted engine tests in a continued attempt to develop long-range missiles since its failed test- firing of a Taepodong-2 in July 2006.
North Korea has a separate site at Musudan-ri on the east cost which was used to launch a Taepodong-1 missile in 1998 over Japan. The Taepodong-2 missile was launched from there in 2006 but it failed.