<p>North Korea has been making preparations to launch mid-range ballistic missiles, possibly to mark the birthday of the country's late founding president tomorrow, South Korean media reported.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The North deployed one or two Musudan ballistic missiles around the eastern port of Wonsan about three weeks ago, Yonhap news agency said today, citing an unnamed Seoul official.<br /><br />"There is an ample possibility that the North would launch them around Kim Il-Sung's birthday," Yonhap quoted the official as saying.<br /><br />The North lavishly celebrates Kim's April 15 birthday, often with massive military parades featuring its most impressive-looking weapons or with missile launches.<br /><br />The nuclear-armed state has staged several short- and mid-range missile launches but has yet to test the Musudan missile, known to have a range of up to 4,000 kilometres.<br /><br />Seoul's defense ministry spokesman said there was a "possibility" the North would carry out such missile test around tomorrow's anniversary, but declined to elaborate.<br /><br />On Tuesday, CNN reported US intelligence satellites had spotted signs that North Korea may be preparing for an unprecedented launch of a mobile ballistic missile.<br />Seoul military declined to confirm the report.<br /><br />Tension has been running high on the divided peninsula since the North conducted its fourth nuclear test in January and a rocket launch a month later that was widely seen as a disguised ballistic missile test.<br /><br />The UN Security Council responded with its toughest sanctions to date, angering the North, which has since made repeated threats of attacks targeting Seoul and Washington.<br /><br />They have been accompanied by claims of success in miniaturising a nuclear warhead to fit on a missile and developing a warhead that can withstand atmospheric re-entry.<br /><br />Outside experts treat the recent claims with scepticism, suggesting leader Kim Jong-Un is seeking to talk up his achievements ahead of a key convention of the ruling Workers' Party in May.</p>
<p>North Korea has been making preparations to launch mid-range ballistic missiles, possibly to mark the birthday of the country's late founding president tomorrow, South Korean media reported.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The North deployed one or two Musudan ballistic missiles around the eastern port of Wonsan about three weeks ago, Yonhap news agency said today, citing an unnamed Seoul official.<br /><br />"There is an ample possibility that the North would launch them around Kim Il-Sung's birthday," Yonhap quoted the official as saying.<br /><br />The North lavishly celebrates Kim's April 15 birthday, often with massive military parades featuring its most impressive-looking weapons or with missile launches.<br /><br />The nuclear-armed state has staged several short- and mid-range missile launches but has yet to test the Musudan missile, known to have a range of up to 4,000 kilometres.<br /><br />Seoul's defense ministry spokesman said there was a "possibility" the North would carry out such missile test around tomorrow's anniversary, but declined to elaborate.<br /><br />On Tuesday, CNN reported US intelligence satellites had spotted signs that North Korea may be preparing for an unprecedented launch of a mobile ballistic missile.<br />Seoul military declined to confirm the report.<br /><br />Tension has been running high on the divided peninsula since the North conducted its fourth nuclear test in January and a rocket launch a month later that was widely seen as a disguised ballistic missile test.<br /><br />The UN Security Council responded with its toughest sanctions to date, angering the North, which has since made repeated threats of attacks targeting Seoul and Washington.<br /><br />They have been accompanied by claims of success in miniaturising a nuclear warhead to fit on a missile and developing a warhead that can withstand atmospheric re-entry.<br /><br />Outside experts treat the recent claims with scepticism, suggesting leader Kim Jong-Un is seeking to talk up his achievements ahead of a key convention of the ruling Workers' Party in May.</p>