Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=8/3/2004

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=NORTH KOREA / MISSILES (L-ONLY)

NUMBER=2-318008

BYLINE=MICHAEL DRUDGE

DATELINE=LONDON

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

HEADLINE: British Publication Warns of North Korean Missiles

INTRO: A leading British defense publication says North Korea is developing new ballistic missile systems that could threaten the continental United States. VOA's Michael Drudge has more from London.

TEXT: The findings are published in the latest edition of Jane's Defense Weekly.

The magazine's editor, Ian Kemp, says Russian experts have played a key role in helping North Korea develop new missiles.

/// KEMP ACT ///

"Our research reveals that the North Koreans are working on two new ballistic missile systems, both of which appear to be derived from the Soviet R-27 submarine-launched ballistic missile. Now this was developed by the Soviets in the 1960s and was carried by Russian nuclear submarines for the later half of the Cold War. And it would appear that former Soviet, and now Russian technicians, over a period of time have helped the North Koreans develop this technology."

/// END ACT ///

The magazine says a land-based version of the missile would have a range of up to four-thousand kilometers, while the submarine-launched or ship-mounted version could travel 25-hundred kilometers.

Mr. Kemp says the sea-launched missile would be the most threatening.

/// 2ND KEMP ACT ///

"This would be the first time the North Koreans have had a submarine-launched ballistic missile. And of course the great advantage of a submarine-launched weapon is that you are not dependent upon the range of the weapon. The submarine itself can deploy a considerable distance and could thus threaten a large area of the continental United States, for instance."

///END ACT///

Mr. Kemp says North Korea's efforts to build nuclear weapons and missiles are a troubling development.

/// 3RD KEMP ACT ///

"Certainly the U.S. intelligence community, the South Korean intelligence community, the Japanese, will be very concerned indeed by these developments. And certainly all three countries have warned in recent months about North Korea's nuclear aspirations."

/// END ACT ///

Jane's says the next step for North Korea will be to build submarines capable of launching the new missiles. It is not clear how long that would take. But the magazine says North Korea did gain technological insight from some decommissioned Soviet submarines it bought from Japanese scrap metal dealers 12 years ago. (Signed)

NEB/MWD/MAR/KL