South Korea says North put on military alert

AFP | July 19 2006

North Korea has put its armed forces on a state of alert since it test-fired missiles two weeks ago, a South Korean official said here Wednesday.

The official from the Unification Ministry said on condition of anonimity that Kim Jong-Il, head of the communist North, issued an order for the military to step up vigilance when it test-fired seven missiles on July 5.

The official denied a press report that North Korea had launched a wartime alert, mobilizing its armed forces and citizens in war alert state.

The alert might be related with the missile launch but it could also be part of ongoing military training that began early this month, he said.

North Korea announced a war mobilization in 1993 at the height of a stand-off with the United States over its nuclear weapons programme.

The missile test-firing was greeted with international condemnation.

The UN Security Council passed a resolution requiring nations to prevent the shipment of equipment and technology for the North's missile or weapons of mass destruction programmes.

But Pyongyang rejected the resolution and vowed to bolster its defences, saying the situation had deteriorated due to the hostile policy of the United States.

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