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Coming Soon: Deal With North Korea ... or 2nd Nuclear Test? Officials See Signs of Upcoming Nuclear Test, Other Odd Moves -- but Also of Nuke Deal By JONATHAN KARL and KIRIT RADIA Oct. 9, 2008 — Amid indications the United States is on the verge of a major agreement with North Korea that would take the Asian nation off a list of state sponsors of terror, U.S. intelligence has picked up signs that North Korea may be preparing for another nuclear test, sources say. Satellite imagery over the past two weeks has picked up suspicious activity at a suspected...

/begin my translation N. Korea: Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site Being Restored Smoke detected at various locations around the nuclear test site There are indications that N. Korea is restoring the nuclear test site at Punggye-ri, Kilju, where they conducted the test two years ago, prompting intelligence authorities to pay close watch on the development. A government source said on Oct. 1, "We recently detected smoke coming out of various locations around Punggye-ri nuclear test site. We are closely monitoring to determine if N. Korea is trying to restore the test site." He said, "Specifically, we suspect that the smoke we...

Pro-N. Korea paper: Nuclear tension could spike By JAE-SOON CHANG, Associated Press Writer Wednesday, August 27, 2008 (08-27) 05:21 PDT SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- North Korea's threat to restore its nuclear facilities should not be seen as "empty talk" and the standoff could develop into a crisis similar to the country's first atomic test, a pro-Pyongyang newspaper said Wednesday.

â—† N. Korea says used 2 kg of plutonium in 2006 nuke test: source SEOUL, June 28 KYODO North Korea's declaration of its nuclear programs that it submitted this week states that it extracted a total of around 30 kilograms of plutonium and used 2 kg in the nuclear test it conducted in October 2006, a six-party talks source said Saturday. A nuclear weapon normally requires between 4 and 8 kg of plutonium. There is speculation that North Korea may have declared a smaller quantity to counter rumors that the 2006 nuclear test, which resulted in a relatively small explosion,...

N. Korea marks nuclear test anniversary By JAE-SOON CHANG, Associated Press Writer 11 minutes ago North Korea marked the first anniversary of its nuclear test on Tuesday, with leader Kim Jong Il getting praise for pulling off a "truly great miracle" that sent the reclusive communist country "soaring as a powerful and great" nation. The Oct. 9, 2006, test marked a peak in international concern over the country's nuclear status and prompted the U.S. to soften its policy toward North Korea, paving the way for steps toward a goal of dismantling the Asian country's program. The North's main Rodong Sinmun...

North Korea Prepping Nuclear Weapons Test Defense Officials Tell ABC News 'They've Put Everything in Place' By JONATHAN KARL WASHINGTON, Jan. 4, 2007 — - North Korea appears to have made preparations for another nuclear test, according to U.S. defense officials. "We think they've put everything in place to conduct a test without any notice or warning," a senior U.S. defense official told ABC News. The official cautions that the intelligence is inconclusive as to whether North Korea will actually go ahead with another test but said the preparations are similar to the steps taken by Pyongyang before it shocked...

/begin my translation N. Korea: Another Nuclear Test Likely in Late Dec. or Early Next Year (SK opposition lawmaker) Kim Jong-il's internal directive, "Act Confidently at 6-party talks as a nuclear power." [2006-11-29 11:34 ] There are reportedly indications that N. Korea would go for another nuclear test in late December or early next year. Chung Hyung-geun, an opposition lawmaker at Intelligence Committee of National Assembly, maintained on Nov. 29, "Various indications have been picked up which show that, if U.S. does not agree to lift economic sanctions, including unfreezing of (N. Korean) accounts at Banco Delta Asia, N. Korea...

North Korea is expected to conduct a second nuclear weapons test, said General B. B. Bell, head of US forces in South Korea. 'I think we can expect further tests as part of its program to develop very provocative weapons,' Bell told a press conference.

N. Korea beefs up counterintelligence following nuclear test SHENYANG, China, Oct. 29 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has toughened surveillance of locals suspected of gathering information about its atomic and military activities in the wake of its Oct. 9 atomic bomb test, an informed source said Sunday. The Ministry of People's Security, Pyongyang's top police agency, issued a directive to its security agencies on Oct. 15 that they should closely monitor and report suspicious activities, the source said. Those subject to stronger surveillance include former North Korean defectors, former convicts, smugglers, merchants and those who have relatives in China, the source...

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U.S. to Take Separate Sanctions Against N.Korea U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday the U.S. will take its own sanctions against North Korea independent of the UN Security Council resolution condemning the North’s nuclear test. Speaking at the Washington-based Heritage Foundation, Rice stressed that the implementation of the U.N. resolution is a responsibility of all U.N. member countries. But she added, “As for our part, the United States is now obligated to adopt additional sanctions on North Korea under national legislation.” This includes the Glenn Amendment to the Arms Export Control Act initiated by Senator John Glenn...

Motel Bookings, Condom Sales Surge Post Nuke Test As tends to be the case in disasters and crises, sales of condoms and reservations at motels surged in the wake of North Korea’s nuclear test on Oct. 9. One online hotel reservations site reports that everything is completely booked up through the end of the month in what it calls an “exceptional” flood of guests. If there is apathy about security among Koreans, there is also a silent terror seeking release in sex. On Oct. 9-15, the average daily sales of condoms across all Family Mart convenience stores was 1,930, a...

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - Condom sales and pay-by-the-hour "love motel" bookings surged across South Korea in the aftermath of North Korea's nuclear test, the country's top newspaper reported Thursday. South Koreans are used to living in the shadow of war, and life has continued as normal in the capital, Seoul, in the wake of the Oct. 9 test. But figures published by the mass-circulation Chosun Ilbo newspaper Thursday suggest that despite their apparently blase reaction to the North's nuclear bluster, many South Koreans may be seeking solace in sex. Condom sales at a leading chain of convenience stores rose...

North Korea tell South sanctions could mean war SEOUL, South Korea (Reuters) -- North Korea warned South Korea on Wednesday against joining U.S.-led sanctions against Pyongyang and said it would take action after any such move by Seoul. South Korea's participation in sanctions would be seen as a serious provocation leading to a "crisis of war" on the Korean peninsula, a North Korean spokesman for the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland said in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency. The North issued a similar warning in September shortly before it conducted a nuclear test,...

Reports of N.Korea apology inaccurate -China Tue Oct 24, 2006 8:41 AM BST BEIJING (Reuters) - Reports that North Korea had apologised for conducting a nuclear test were "inaccurate", China said on Tuesday, adding there was no guarantee the reclusive state would not test again. The remarks from Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao were China's first official reaction to media reports that North Korean leader Kim Jong-il told a visiting Chinese envoy that Pyongyang regretted the difficulties its October 9 nuclear test had caused its neighbour and did not plan another test. "These reports are inaccurate. I haven't heard of...

China's Reaction: Tightening the Screws Would Beijing dump Kim? It's certainly not likely, but ... By Melinda Liu Newsweek International Oct. 30, 2006 issue - Once upon a time Beijing officials and scholars would have scoffed at the idea of effecting Chinese-style regime change in Pyongyang. But in the wake of Kim's nuke test, an unprecedented debate has broken out over Beijing's North Korea policies. Last Friday four major Chinese banks stopped making financial transfers to North Korea—a tactic that could quickly pinch a weak economy that relies on China as a link to the international financial system. And this...

Rice says N.Korea trying to escalate nuclear crisis By Sue Pleming 1 hour, 30 minutes ago U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice cast doubt on reports that North Korea had pledged not to stage another nuclear test, saying on Saturday it seemed instead bent on escalating the crisis. News reports had raised hopes that tension was easing on Friday by saying North Korean leader Kim Jong-il had told China's special envoy Tang Jiaxuan this week he planned no further nuclear tests. But Rice met Tang in Beijing on Friday and later told reporters traveling on to Moscow with her: "Tang...

Rice plays down Kim's test 'pledge'From correspondents in Moscow October 21, 2006 07:07pm US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has cast doubt on a reported apology by North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il for carrying out a nuclear test and a pledge not to carry out more. "I don't know whether or not Kim Jong-Il said any such thing," Dr Rice has said on a flight from Beijing to Moscow, where she is continuing her talks with nations involved in the stalled six-way talks on Pyongyang's nuclear program. "But the Chinese, in a fairly thorough briefing about the talks, said nothing...

N. Korea's vice FM doesn't rule out possible 2nd nuke test: ABC News NEW YORK, Oct. 20 KYODO North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan did not rule out the possibility of his country performing a second nuclear test, ABC News reported Friday. In an interview with the U.S. television network in Pyongyang on Friday, Kim was quoted as saying, ''I think you can closely watch what happens.'' Kim is North Korea's chief negotiator at the six-party talks on Pyongyang's nuclear program. When ABC's anchor said, ''I don't think that's an answer,'' Kim replied, ''I think that's a good...

N. Korea Staged a Mass Rally Celebrating Nuclear Test On Oct. 20, 11 days after their nuclear test, N. Korea staged a mass rally in Pyongyang celebrating the test. To view the video, click on the picture below(1min 37 sec long; intro runs for about 20 sec).