As U.N. Stirs, North Could Test Again

It became highly possible that United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution to keep North Korea from launching a missile will be put to a vote early this week at the earliest.

Jean-Marc de La Sabliere, France’s Ambassador to the United Nations, said on July 7 that a UNSC meeting scheduled at 10:00 a.m. July 10 (11:00 p.m. July 10 Korea time) would determine the timing for the vote.

The countries supporting the UNSC’s North resolution, including Japan and U.S., have a plan to submit to a vote this week the resolution that was put on UNSC on July 7.

Japan’s National Defense Minster Nukaga Hukusiro said yesterday that North’s additional missile launch did not seem imminent. He said that it is because the North seemingly failed in its Taepodong II missile test and it would take some time to eliminate defects before additional launches.

Japan’s Asahi Shimbun reported that North Korea’s foreign minister Kim Gye Gwan, North Korea’s chief delegate for the six-party talks, reportedly told Robert Scalapino, honorary professor of the University of California at Berkeley, “We may launch more.”

Scalapino, regarded as the number one East-Asia professional in the U.S., stayed in North Korea from July 4 to 7 by invitation of North’s foreign ministry.

Jong sik Kong kong@donga.com iam@donga.com