DEFENSE IN THE FUTURE," NORTH KOREA'S OFFICIAL KCNA NEWS AGENCY QUOTED A FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN AS SAYING. "THE DPRK WILL HAVE NO OPTION BUT TO TAKE STRONGER PHYSICAL ACTIONS OF OTHER FORMS, SHOULD ANY OTHER COUNTRY DARE TAKE ISSUE WITH THE EXERCISES AND PUT PRESSURE UPON IT." DPRK STANDS FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA. OFFICIALS SAY NORTH KOREA LAUNCHED AT LEAST SIX MISSILES FROM ITS EAST COAST AND, AS THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY FUMED, FIRED OFF A SEVENTH SOME 12 HOURS LATER. THE MISSILES INCLUDED A LONG-RANGE TAEPODONG-2, WHICH SOME EXPERTS HAD SAID COULD HIT ALASKA. U.S. OFFICIALS SAID IT FLEW FOR LESS THAN A MINUTE AND SPLASHED INTO THE SEA WEST OF JAPAN. SOUTH KOREA'S DEFENCE MINISTER TOLD A PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE THAT AN ANALYSIS OF EQUIPMENT AND PERSONNEL BEING MOVED IN AND OUT OF A MISSILE-LAUNCH SITE IN NORTH KOREA SUGGESTED THE POSSIBILITY OF MORE LAUNCHES, YONHAP REPORTED. SOUTH KOREAN DAILY CHOSUN ILBO CITED A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL AS SAYING THE NORTH MIGHT BE LOOKING TO LAUNCH THREE OR FOUR MORE INTERMEDIATE-RANGE MISSILES. NBC NEWS, CITING UNNAMED U.S. OFFICIALS, SAID PREPARATIONS SEEMED TO BE UNDER WAY FOR A SECOND TAEPODONG TEST, BUT THE WEAPON WAS NOT YET AT THE LAUNCH PAD. THE WHITE HOUSE HAD NO CONFIRMATION OF THE REPORT. EXPERTS SAY IT COULD TAKE WEEKS TO PREPARE A TAEPODONG-2 FOR FIRING. TOKYO SAID IT DID NOT EXPECT AN IMMINENT LAUNCH. JAPAN'S KOIZUMI AND BUSH AGREED BY PHONE TO WORK TOGETHER FOR A U.N. RESOLUTION DEMANDING THAT NATIONS HALT FUNDS AND TECHNOLOGY THAT COULD BE USED FOR PYONGYANG'S MISSILE PROGRAM. THEIR CALL, REPORTED BY JAPAN'S KYODO NEWS AGENCY, CAME AFTER RUSSIA AND CHINA OPPOSED SLAPPING SANCTIONS ON NORTH KOREA -- ECHOING THE SPLIT AMONG THE COUNCIL'S VETO-WIELDING MEMBERS OVER IRAN'S NUCLEAR AMBITIONS. RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SERGEI LAVROV SAID ON THURSDAY SANCTIONS AGAINST NORTH KOREA WOULD BE COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE NOW. "TRYING TO TALK STRAIGHT AWAY ABOUT THE THREAT OF SANCTIONS LEADS TO RECIPROCAL THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA, AS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE. AND THEN YOU STILL HAVE TO RETURN TO NEGOTIATIONS, ONLY THEN IT WILL BE IN A MORE TENSE ATMOSPHERE," HE TOLD REPORTERS. RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN ALEXANDER LOSYUKOV TOLD REPORTERS IN TOKYO SANCTIONS COULD PREVENT A REVIVAL OF SIX-COUNTRY TALKS ON WINDING UP PYONGYANG'S NUCLEAR ARMS PROGRAM, WHICH HAVE BEEN STALLED SINCE LAST NOVEMBER.
