US secretary of state Hillary Clinton today raised the possibility of a power struggle in North Korea, as the country said it was ready for war with the South.
Ms Clinton said that uncertainty over the leadership in one of the world's most secretive states added urgency to devise a strategy to deal with its nuclear weapons programme. Leader leader Kim Jong-il reportedly fell ill last year.
"If there is a succession, even if it is a peaceful succession ... that creates more uncertainty and it also may encourage behaviours that are even more provocative as a way to consolidate power within the society," she told reporters on a flight from Indonesia to the South Korean capital.
She arrived in Seoul following reports that Pyongyang may be preparing to test a long range missile.
"Our goal is to try to come up with a strategy that ... is effective in influencing the behaviour of the North Koreans at a time when the whole leadership situation is somewhat unclear," she said.
North Korea has repeatedly threatened in recent weeks to reduce the South to ashes. Pyongyang is thought to be readying its longest-range missile for launch in what analysts say is a bid to grab the new US administration's attention and pressure Seoul to ease up on its hard line.
"(The South Korean president's) group of traitors should never forget that the (North) Korean People's Army is fully ready for an all-out confrontation," the North's KCNA news agency quoted an unnamed military official as saying.
The South's foreign minister warned a launch would be met by sanctions and further isolation for the reclusive state.
Reports in the South said North Korea has been assembling its Taepodong-2 missile, which is designed to carry a warhead as far as Alaska. The same missile fizzled and blew apart seconds after it was launched for the first and only time in 2006.
South Korea's defence minister was quoted by local media as saying the North could test-launch the missile in about two or three weeks. A leading local daily quoted intelligence sources as saying it could be as early as next week.
North Korea kept up its angry tone today, accusing the United States of planning a nuclear attack and saying it was ready for war with South Korea.
North Jorean leader Kim is widely reported to have suffered a stroke last year. But in recent weeks, North Korean media has published photographs of the communist world's first dynastic leader in apparent good health.
South Korean officials have said they are also worried about North Korea holding a short-range missile test toward a contested Yellow Sea border off the west coast of the peninsula which has been the scene of deadly naval fights between the rival Koreas.
Analysts said the North may provoke a minor skirmish but they did not expect a major conflict because Pyongyang's huge but ill-equipped army is little match for South Korea and its major ally the United States, which positions about 28,000 troops on the peninsula.
The North said it may be forced to counter strike if it felt threatened by joint US and South Korean military drills announced yesterday. The annual drills will be held in March.
"If bellicose US forces and South Korean puppets dare wage aggression against us wrapped up in foolish delusion, we will explode our might ... and ruthlessly destroy the invasionary forces," KCNA said.
Reuters