Accident in NK Missile Test Site Reported in Nov.
2003-04-23
Ministry of National Defense, ROK
An explosion occurred last November in a North Korean test site for long-range Daepodong missiles, sources in Seoul said on Monday (April 21).
According to military officials, a U.S. spy satellite detected the explosion in Hwadae-gun, North Hamgyeong Province at the time.
Debris from the explosion was scattered in the area, and the accident is likely to lead to significant damage in the North's development program for long-range missiles, they said.
"We can neither confirm nor deny the incident," Defense Ministry spokesman Brig. Gen. Hwang Young-soo said.
North Korea first test-fired the Daepodong I missile, which has a range of 2,200 kilometers, in 1998. It flew over northeastern Japan.
Another missile reportedly under development, the Daepodong II, which many say could reach mainland U.S., has yet to be tested.
Japanese media reported in February that North Korea was preparing to test the Daepodong II. ROK officials denied it at the time, saying a launch would be detected weeks in advance.
