NK Missile Warhead Found in Alaska (2003 article)

The warhead of a long-range missile test-fired by North Korea was found in the U.S. state of Alaska, a report to the National Assembly revealed yesterday.

``According to a U.S. document, the last piece of a missile warhead fired by North Korea was found in Alaska,¡¯¡¯ former Japanese foreign minister Taro Nakayama was quoted as saying in the report. ``Washington, as well as Tokyo, has so far underrated Pyongyang¡¯s missile capabilities.¡¯¡¯

Newspaper says N. Korean missile pieces found in Alaska

"Officials puzzled, say closest one splashed down hundreds of miles off coast

By Tom Kizzia
Anchorage Daily News
(Published: March 5, 2003)

An unsubstantiated report from South Korea on Tuesday, claiming fragments of a North Korea missile warhead had been found in Alaska,left state, federal and military officials here puzzled.

The Korea Times, a major Korean newspaper, said a delegation from South Korea's National Assembly had released a new report on the region's current showdown over nuclear weapons and missiles. The newspaper quoted a former Japanese foreign minister's words in the report that "the last piece of a missile warhead fired by North Korea was found in Alaska."

The Japanese official, Tara Nakayama, cited a U.S. document as his source.

Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, said Tuesday he's never heard of such a thing. Neither had Chris Nelson, the state's missile defense coordinator.

Air Force Lt. Col. Rick Lehner, spokesman for the Missile Defense Agency, said the report probably referred to a three-stage missile tested by North Korea in 1998.

"It splashed in the water hundreds of miles from Alaska," Lehner said. "I've never heard of any piece of a missile landing in Alaska from that test or any other test."

The South Korea legislators used the claim to note that Washington and Tokyo have "underrated Pyongyang's missile capabilities," according to the newspaper. Given the Bush administration's political efforts to promote national missile defense, it's hard to imagine why the United States would have kept such a discovery secret.

U.S. and Korean military analysts have said North Korea is probably developing a two-stage missile with a range of 3,700 miles, making it able to reach Anchorage. A three-stage version of that missile might be able to reach the West Coast of the United States, defense officials have testified.

These ranges remain hypothetical, though North Korea has recently said it may restart its missile testing program. North Korea agreed to a test moratorium with the Clinton administration.

The August 1998 test of a three-stage Taepodong-1 missile was an unsuccessful effort to launch a satellite, according to U.S. intelligence officials. The first stage splashed down in the Sea of Japan, while the second stage flew over Japan and landed in the Pacific, U.S. officials said. The fate of the satellite stage has not been reported.

"The third stage malfunctioned, and it didn't go as far as it could've gone," Lehner said.

Just because something is not in the press doesn't mean it didn't happen. It probably didn't, but we (intel agencies) underestimate all of our enemies. The biggest threat from NK IMO is their selling tech to others.

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