South Korea demands North Korea stop preparations to missile test

North Korea, meanwhile, lashed out Tuesday at Japan for its own missile purchases and at the United States for its plans to build a missile defense shield, saying that this would lead to a dangerous arms race in space.

Photo: South Korea demands North Korea stop preparations to missile test

South Korea "explained to North Korea the serious repercussions a missile launch would bring and strongly demanded that test fire plans be scrapped," ruling Uri Party spokesman Woo Sang-ho said Tuesday in a statement after politicians were briefed by officials.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Monday in Washington that test-launching the missile, believed to be a Taepodong-2 with a firing range experts estimate could be up to 15,000 kilometers (9,300 miles), would be a "very serious matter and, indeed, a provocative act."

A U.S. official in Washington, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Monday that U.S. intelligence indicates that North Korea has finished fueling the missile.

However, Japan said on Tuesday that it could not confirm that the fueling was completed, the AP reports.