PYONGYANG, North Korea, June 1 (UPI) -- South Korea Monday monitored the Yellow Sea after North Korea banned ships from the mid and upper parts of the sea, intelligence sources said.
The South Korean concern stems from the fact that the latest ban, to last until the end of July, is unusually long, Yonhap quoted the source as saying.
The South Korean military has been on increased alert ever since last Monday, when Pyongyang claimed to have conducted an underground nuclear test and following it up with a series of short-range missile launches. North Korea, ignoring international condemnation of its actions, also issued military threats against South Korean and U.S. naval ships operating along the western sea border.
The Chosun Ilbo newspaper quoted a South Korean government official saying the North Korean army has significantly reduced its communications, exchanging only essential messages "as if they are mindful of our monitoring."
The report said a train carrying what appeared to be an intercontinental ballistic missile was traveling to a rocket launch site in Musudanri, North Hamgyong Province, leading a South Korean official to say the North may launch a missile as early as mid-June.
However, the report quoted other experts saying it would take longer than two weeks, considering the preparation time need for such a launch.
North Korea's Taepodong-2 missile is believed to have a maximum range of more than 4,100, Chosun Ilbo said.
