추가 식별된 TEL은 스커드와 노동 미사일을 발사하는 장비로 분석되었다고 관계자는 밝혔다. 스커드 미사일은 사거리 300~500km로 남한 전역을, 노동 미사일은 사거리 1천 300~1천 500km로 일본은 가격할 수 있다. 무수단급 미사일은 사거리 3,000km 이상이며 괌을 강타할 수 있다.
북한은 각 미사일을 발사한 전례가 있으며, 현재 사거리 6,700km가 넘는 대포동 2호를 개발 중이다. 대포동 2호는 대륙간탄도미사일로서 성공적으로 개발되면 미국 본토를 가격할 수 있다.
북한은 2006년 7월 5일, 같은 날 대포동 2호와 함께 스커드 미사일 4기와 노동 미사일 2기를 발사했다. 2009년 7월 4일에는 스커드 미사일 5기와 노동 미사일 2기를 발사한 바 있다.
한미 연합군은 북한 미사일 도발에 대응하기 위해 이지스 함대를 동원하는 등 정찰 및 감시 역량을 강화해 북한군의 움직임을 예의 주시하고 있다. 현재 우리 군은 북한 미사일 발사에 대비해 “北 미사일 발사 대비 태스크포스(TF)”를 운영 중이다.TF는 소장급이 지휘하며, 10여명의 장성•영관급 장교가 운영하고 있다.
이에 관해 윤병세 외교부 장관은 이날 국회 외교 통일위 전체회의에 출석해 “우리나라와 미국이 수집하는 정보에 의하면 북한의 미사일 가능성은 상당히 높다”고 밝혔다.
특히 무수단 미사일에 관해 “(사거리가) 3천 500km 정도인데 어디까지 갈지는 북한의 의도에 달렸다”고 보고했다.
윤 장관은 북한의 핵•미사일 능력이 상당한 수준에 도달해 있다고 지적하며 (미사일이 발사되면) 자동으로 유엔 안전보장이사회의 2087•2094 결의 위반으로, 곧바로 안보리가 소집된다”고 밝혔다.
나아가 미국은 북한이 현재와 같이 도발을 계속하고 비핵화에 진정성을 보이지 않으면 대화할 의지를 내지 않을 입장이라고 지적하며 “미국은 (북한과) 대화하는 경우에도 한미 간 긴밀히 조율하고 먼저 남북 대화가 이뤄져야 한다는 점을 강조하고 있다”고 설명했다.
한편, 새뮤얼 라클리어 미군 태평양군(PACOM) 사령관은 9일(현지시간) 북한 미사일 도발과 관련해 북한의 탄도 미사일을 요격할 능력이 있다고 발표하고, 북측 위협에 맞서 한국을 방어할 태세가 돼 있다고 밝혔다.
라클리어 사령관은 이날 상원 군사위 청문회에 출석해 이와 같이 말하며, 북한의 핵무기와 탄도 미사일 개발은 미국과 지역 동맹국들에 직접적이고 분명한 위협을 제시한다고 밝혔다. 북한의 미사일이 동맹국을 겨냥하지 않을 경우 요격 지시를 “하지 않을 것”이라고 대답했다.
미국 CNN 방송은 북한이 미사일을 발사할 때 과거와 달리 사전 통보 없이 강행할 것이라고 가정하고 있다고 8일(현지시간) 보고했다.
당국자는 “북한이 (사전) 통보 하기를 바라지만 현재로서는 기대하고 있지 않고 있다”며 “북한이 통보하지 않을 것으로 가정하고 이에 대비하고 있다”고 CNN을 통해 전했다. (코리아 헤럴드 송상호 기자/번역 이상주)
<관련 영어 기사>
Seoul officials say Pyongyang is ready for multiple missile launches; Washington calls threat ‘unhelpful’
South Korea and the U.S. stepped up their intelligence and surveillance activities on Wednesday amid growing signs of North Korea’s imminent multiple missile launches.
The allied forces raised the Watch Condition, or Watchcon, by one notch to level 2, and bolstered their intelligence personnel. Intelligences indicated Pyongyang has finalized preparations to launch its Musudan intermediate-range missiles from its east coast. Seoul officials said.
“North Korea can fire missiles at any time now, if it has the political determination to do so,” a military source said, declining to be named.
Seoul officials believe Pyongyang could launch multiple missiles such as its Musudan, Scud and Rodong missiles on the same day.
“In addition to the two Musudan missiles spotted in the Wonsan area of (the North’s) Gangwon Province, we identified four to five transporter-erector-launchers (mobile launchers) around the Donghan bay spanning South Hamgyeong Province and Gangwon Province,” a senior government official told reporters.
The mobile launchers are known to be used to carry the North’s Scud or Rodong missiles.
Scud missiles with ranges of 300-500 km put South Korea within striking range while Rodong missiles with ranges of some 1,300 km and Musudan missiles with ranges beyond 3,000 km can strike Japan and Guam, respectively.
All three missiles have been deployed before while Taepodong-2 missiles with ranges of longer than 6,700 km are still under development. The intercontinental missiles are capable of striking the U.S. mainland.
In the past, Pyongyang launched multiple missiles in the same day. On July 5, 2006, it launched a Taepodong-2 missile, four Scud missiles and two Rodong missiles while on July 4, 2009, it fired five Scud missiles and two Rodong missiles.
Mobilizing their core intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance assets including South Korea’s Aegis-equipped destroyers, the South Korean and U.S. militaries here kept closer tabs on North Korean movements.
The South Korean military ran a taskforce, consisting of some 10 senior officers, to prepare for the possible missile launch.
To better handle ballistic missile threats, Seoul seeks to establish the “Air and Missile Defense-Cell” by July. The AMD-Cell tasked with analyzing missile information gleaned from early warning satellites and radars, is a key part of the low-tier missile shield Seoul plans to build.
During a parliamentary session, Seoul’s Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se confirmed the possibility of North Korea launching missiles was “considerably high.”
“Based on our and U.S. intelligence, the missile could be the Musudan missile. Its range is around 3,500 km, but how far it will travel hinges on North Korea’s intentions,” he said.
Experts said the range of the missile can be adjusted according to the amount of the fuel, the angle at which it flies, and other factors.
Stressing its nuclear and missile capabilities had reached a “considerable level,“ Yun warned another missile launch would constitute a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions that ban any missile tests by the provocative state.
“Upon any additional launch, the UNSC would immediately convene. As we all need to thoroughly analyze the nature of the missile launch, it is yet difficult to predict what kinds of measures the UNSC would adopt for another launch,” he said.
The minister also underscored that Washington would not hold talks with Pyongyang should it continue to set off provocations and refuse to show sincerity in the multilateral efforts to denuclearize it.
“The U.S. stresses that inter-Korean talks should precede any talks between Washington and Pyongyang, (though be held) in close coordination with Washington,” he said.
During a Senate Armed Services Committee session, Adm. Samuel Locklear, the commander of U.S. Pacific Command, said the U.S. military has the ability to intercept a North Korean ballistic missile. But he added that a decision on whether a missile should be intercepted would be based on where it is aimed and expected to land.
“I believe we have the ability to defend the homeland, Guam, Hawaii and defend our allies,” said Locklear, pointing out that the reclusive state’s nuclear weapons and missiles posed a “clear threat” to the U.S. and its regional allies.
The Pentagon plans to deploy a land-based “terminal high-altitude area defense system” to Guam in the coming weeks as a precautionary move to counter a possible missile attack.
It has also unveiled its plan to strengthen missile defense against the North by installing 14 additional ground-based interceptors at its bases in Alaska and California by September 2017.
White House spokesperson Jay Carney characterized North Korea’s nuclear war threat as “unhelpful, concerning and provocative,” noting it was a pattern of combative statements and behavior that the leadership in Pyongyang has shown for years.
Another U.S. official said North Korea’s test missile launches could occur without Pyongyang issuing a standard warning to commercial aviation and maritime authorities.
“We hope they issue a notification, but at this point we don’t expect it. We are working on the assumption they won’t,” the anonymous official was quoted by CNN as saying.
By Song Sang-ho
(
sshluck@heraldcorp.com)
