North Korea has withdrawn two mobile ballistic missiles from a launch site in the eastern part of the country, according to a U.S. official. The disclosure came Monday, the day before President Barack Obama is due to meet with his South Korean counterpart, Park Geun-hye, in Washington. The missiles the North has moved from the launch site are believed to be Musudans, an untested weapon that the South Korean government says has a maximum range of 3,500 kilometers (2,175 miles). It would be "premature" to make a judgment about whether the North Korean "provocation cycle is going up, down or zig-zagging," Daniel Russel, White House special assistant and senior director for Asian affairs, was quoted as saying by CNN on Monday. "No one should be prepared to declare a victory yet," he said, referring to the reports of the missiles being moved off the launch site.
