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North Korea has another long-range Taepodong-2 missile of the kind that crashed into the ocean after launch on Wednesday, according to a confidential report by South Korea¡¯s National Intelligence Service. That means another test launch is likely once the North figures out how to fix the defect that scuppered the first attempt. Officials also contradicted reports Wednesday that the missile blew up in midair 42 seconds after launch, saying it actually traveled for seven minutes after veering from its original trajectory.
The report was submitted to the National Assembly's Intelligence Committee on Thursday. Committee members quoted it as saying North Korea at the beginning of May moved two Taepodong-2 missiles from Pyongyang. Based on the hypothesis that the missile failed due to a technical defect, there is a ¡°very strong¡± possibility that the North will launch the second missile once the problem has been scrutinized and fixed.
Members said there was no mention of whether a launch platform has been set up for the second missile or whether it has been fueled. U.S. network NBC reported the other Taepodong-2 was in the final stages of assembly but had not been moved to the platform. The Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said, "The area surrounding the launch pad in Hwadae-gun, North Hamgyeong province is clean, and as of yet there are no signs of an additional launch."
A military official told reporters the Taepodong-2 launched Wednesday at dawn maintained its planned trajectory for 42 seconds but then suffered engine problems and continued for another seven minutes off course, traveling 499 km in all, before crashing into the sea.
Meanwhile, the Defense Ministry in a report to the National Assembly's Defense Committee announced it plans to introduce 48 Patriot missiles between 2008 and 2009 as part of the SAM-X project. After 2009, it will introduce SM-2 Block-IV sea-to-air interceptor missiles to be carried on Aegis ships to counter the North Korean missile threat.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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