The comments by Unification Minister Hyun In-Taek came as defence chiefs at an international meeting in Seoul warned that Pyongyang's atomic programme represented the greatest threat to the Asia-Pacific region.

Hyun told lawmakers that the South Korean government was "watching closely because possibilities cannot be completely ruled out," but said that the chances of an imminent atomic test were "currently low."

Chosun Ilbo, South Korea's biggest-selling newspaper, reported Thursday that the secretive communist state appeared to be preparing for a third test, citing an unidentified government source.

US satellites had detected movements of personnel and vehicles at the site where Pyongyang carried out its first two nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009, the report said.

US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Thursday that another atomic weapons test would be "provocative" but said he did not have any evidence to support the South Korean report.

"But this hasn't changed our position vis-a-vis North Korea. We said all along that they need to adhere to their commitments and they also need to refrain from provocative actions," Toner said.

South Korean government officials also said Thursday there was no concrete evidence that Pyongyang was readying such a test, saying Seoul and its allies are closely watching developments related to the North's nuclear facilities.

The situation in the deeply impoverished state is being keenly monitored as the North has begun laying the ground work for the future succession of ruler Kim Jong-Il's youngest son Kim Jong-Un.

At a high-level defence meeting in Seoul this week, military leaders from 26 nations warned that North Korea's nuclear programme poses "the most serious threat" to the Asia-Pacific region.

They also agreed on the need to enhance cooperation in maritime security operations against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, said General Han Min-Koo, chairman of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

"Participating countries reached a consensus on the fact that the North Korean nuclear programme presents the most serious threat to regional security," he told reporters Friday after the Chiefs of Defence gathering which involved 26 countries.

US Admiral Robert Willard, commander of the US Pacific Command, also said the threat from North Korea's nuclear capabilities was "widely recognised as significant not just to South Korea but region as a whole".

"The next (nuclear) test (by North Korea) would be a very serious matter for the international community and the Republic of Korea (South Korea)," he warned.

North Korea said on Saturday it was willing to resume the six-nation disarmament talks but would not be "hasty" because the United States and some other parties were "not ready".

China, the North's sole major ally and economic lifeline, is pressing to restart the six-party forum, which groups the two Koreas, the United States, China, Japan and Russia and began in 2003.

But prospects for renewed negotiations have been clouded by South Korean and US accusations that the North torpedoed one of Seoul's warships in March, a charge Pyongyang denies.

del.icio.us	Digg	Reddit
YahooMyWeb	Google	Facebook

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS Solar Energy Solutions Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ... Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News