Free Republic

CNBC Asia, South Korea Wire Services Reporting

TOKYO - Japan is ready for North Korea to carry out its threatened nuclear test as soon as this weekend, officials said yesterday. Japanese Vice-Foreign Minister Shotaro Yachi, on a visit to Washington, said Pyongyang's resolve to test its first atom bomb should not be underestimated. "We discussed the possibility that the test would occur this weekend," Mr Yachi said after talks with US Deputy National Security Adviser Jack Crouch. North Korea issued a statement on Tuesday saying it would test a nuclear bomb, dramatically raising the stakes in its standoff with the US on its quest for atomic weapons....

Here is the link, this 300K Windows Media Player video stream from Japan should be up for 12 more hours or so: http://meta.cdn.yahoo-streaming.jp/cgi-bin/yahoo/news.asx?cid=20061005-00000040-nnn-soci-movie-000&media=wm300k

Reports from Seoul Korea, (daily newspaper Joongang Ilbo in Seoul) via the Japanese Jiji press agency, that South Korean intelligence has intercepted radio messages/communications in North Korea, which were aired last month, to civilians in the Kilju County, Northern Hamgyeong Province area of northeastern D.P.R.K., to evacuate.The source in the South Korean government said "our interpretation is that following North Korea's underground nuclear blast test, they wish to head off any escape of radiation that would be a threat to the nearby civilian population and are evacuating as such."

U.S. Official Backs N.Korea Nuke Test Reports A Pentagon official connected with security on the Korean Peninsula on Saturday backed reports based on other unnamed officials' comments that North Korea could be advancing preparations for a nuclear test in June. He said there were several tunnels deep enough and with suitable terrain for a test throughout the reclusive country, but only one place with a lot of activity. The official called "very accurate" a New York Times report of suspicions among U.S. officials that North Korea was building a reviewing stand in Kilju, North Hamgyeong Province and shipping concrete and...

The United States has detected signs that North Korea may be planning to conduct a nuclear test in Kiljoo in North Hamkyong Province, a Seoul daily reported Tuesday. "The U.S. reconnaissance satellite has taken pictures of trucks moving a lot and movements of cranes and other equipment in a place in Kiljoo in North Hamkyong Province," a South Korean government source was quoted by Chosun Ilbo as saying. U.S. intelligence authorities have conveyed to their South Korean counterparts related satellite pictures and their assessment that they believe these pictures indicate that North Korea is likely to conduct a nuclear...