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North Korea may be Preparing for another Nuclear Test

Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, said Friday that any further nuclear test conducted by North Korea will further the country`s isolation in the international community. A spokesman for the State Department, Sean McCormick said any nuclear action taken by the communist government will have significant repercussions. These US warnings followed the news that Pyongyang is planning to conduct another nuclear test in the near future.

Rice called on North Korea to return to the negotiation table. ?If North Korea is prepared to return in a more constructive spirit? the talks could be reinitiated soon, Rice said, added: ?We know of no substantive response from the North Koreans.? South Korean sources have indicated that suspicious activity has been taking place for quite a long time in North Korea`s nuclear test site. Yet, none of these, so called suspicious activities could be definitively linked to nuclear tests. South Korea and its allies have been feverously been surveying the nuclear test site for any movement that could be interpreted as preparations for a nuclear test. The television network ABC quoted an American official saying the US administration suspects that North Korea is preparing the logistics for another nuclear test. The source added that there is no definitive evidence but the actions taken by the Koreans are similar to those actions which preceded the first nuclear tests.

Two weeks ago, the multi-sided talks with North Korea ended without results. North Korean leader, Kim Jong il, said the talks failed because sanctions and pressure were used. Kim threatened that if sanctions worsened, his government will reply severally, refusing to explain how exactly he plans to penalize his enemies.