NK preparing ICBM launch for trilateral summit: spy agency

National Intelligence Service officials and lawmakers attend a parliamentary intelligence committee meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, Aug. 17. Yonhap

North Korea is preparing to carry out various military provocations, including the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), on the occasion of the upcoming trilateral summit among South Korea, the United States and Japan or the South Korea-U.S. military exercise, a lawmaker said Thursday.

Rep. Yoo Sang-bum of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) made the remarks, citing what the National Intelligence Service (NIS) reported to a closed session of the parliamentary intelligence committee.

"Active activities of vehicles supporting ICBM launches have been detected in Pyongyang. We are continuously identifying signs of preparation for an ICBM launch, such as the frequent movements of propellants out of liquid fuel factories," Yoo said.

He also said the North is expected to conduct a joint military exercise, including the test launch of a missile that can be fitted with a tactical nuclear weapon, given the "unusually active" movements of vehicles detected around North Korea's solid-fuel missile production facilities.

Pyongyang could also carry out another launch of a military reconnaissance satellite in late August or early September ahead of the 75th anniversary of the regime's establishment on Sept. 9 if it succeeds in fixing the defects seen in its previous launch, he also said.

The spy agency has concluded that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu held a one-on-one meeting and reached "a broad framework" of agreements on military cooperation during the Russian official's visit to North Korea from July 25-27.

"Russia appears to have suggested sales of shells and missiles and conducting a joint military exercise while North Korea likely requested rentals of weapons produced in the West and technical assistance, including repairs of dilapidated equipment," Yoo said quoting the NIS.

Additionally, the spy agency detected a working-level Russian official visited North Korea from Aug. 1-2 on a military aircraft to discuss implementation of the cooperation agreement, followed by a Russian cargo plane carrying "unidentified" defense supplies out of Pyongyang on Aug. 8.

"We expect Russia-North Korea military cooperation may pick up pace," the lawmaker said, adding the NIS is keeping close tabs on the possibility of Russia's core nuclear or missile technologies being transferred to North Korea. (Yonhap)

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