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North Korea Went On War Footing Following Missile Tests

According to South Korean reports published on Wednesday of this week, the Democratic People?s Republic of Korea, popularly known as North Korea, issued an order of ?high readiness? for its armed forces following the launch of its missile tests two weeks ago, on the Fourth of July in the United States, but July 5 on the other side of the world. Citing the South Korean sources Seoul, the capital of the Republic of Korea, news agencies reported that the ?high readiness? alert was issued to North Korean forces on July 5 as the country fired seven missiles into the Sea of Japan. The missiles were reportedly six of the Scud type and one of the Taepodong-2 type.

Confirmation of that issuance of a mobilization order by the reclusive Stalinist nation, however, has not been forthcoming from Pyongyang, a spokesman for the South Korean Reunification Ministry said. Meanwhile, South Korean papers, quoting an anonymous government source, said, ?Kim Jong-II issued an order placing the North Korean army on a full war footing, just hours before the United Nations Security Council unanimously condemned North Korea`s missile tests.?

North Korean soldiers were reportedly called to back to barracks and civilians, already suffering from hunger and poverty as their repressive government develops nuclear weapons, were placed under travel restrictions. Citing intelligence sources, newspapers added that the order was not broadcast via official North Korean media, but rather was spread quietly through military and civilian emergency networks. The last general mobilization by North Korea came in 1993 during tensions over the North Korean nuclear program which led to talks and an agreement that the North Koreans deceitfully broke to develop their arsenal.