A senior South Korean government official has said there is a possibility of North Korea launching an intercontinental ballistic missile this month, according to a Yonhap News Agency report.
Kim Tae Hyo, principal deputy national security adviser, made the remark Thursday as he arrived in Washington for a security meeting with U.S. officials on nuclear and strategic issues. He did not detail the basis of his view, the report said.
Asked whether the North's spy satellite launch last month will be discussed, Kim said a ballistic missile using ICBM technology is a subject of discussions on "extended deterrence," referring to the United States' commitment to using the full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear, to defend its ally.
Stressing the two nations' resolve to cope with Pyongyang's missile launches, Kim said, "It is extended deterrence that we explore (ways) to forestall a North Korean nuclear attack in advance."
Kim added that a system to share real-time information on North Korean missiles among South Korea, Japan and the United States is in the completion stage.
North Korea test-fired a solid-fuel ICBM, Hwasong-18, in July.
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