

By Jun Ji-hye

North Korea appears to have been deploying road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) at military bases near its border with China, according to media reports Friday, in a move to show off its nuclear capability against the United States.

After tracking the development of the missiles, known as the KN-08, for the past two years, South Korean and U.S. intelligence officials have found that Pyongyang is in the process of deploying missiles at three or four border bases, the Chosun Ilbo reported.

The KN-08 is believed to have a range of more than 10,000 kilometers, far enough to strike targets on the U.S. mainland.

The North has been constructing ICBMs bases near its border with China with the apparent aim of avoiding having its KN-08s destroyed by allies' precision bombing in the event of a contingency, the report added.

U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper also said in February that Pyongyang "has already taken initial steps toward fielding this (KN-08) system, although the system has not been flight-tested."

It could be the North's second missile to be operationally deployed without test-firing, after the Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBMs). The hostile state deployed the Musudans in 2007 without carrying out any test-firing, according to the Ministry of National Defense.

The ministry refused to confirm whether the latest report was true or not.

However, a ministry official said intelligence officials from Seoul and Washington are carefully considering all possibilities and keenly monitoring the movements of North Korean soldiers.

"There have been a lot of talks about the North having inched closer to fielding the road-mobile ICBMs," the official said on the condition of anonymity. "But we need to check more information to confirm the details."

In February, there were media reports about the Kim Jong-un regime having formed a new brigade to deploy its KN-08 ICBMs.

At the time, reports said the KN-08 brigade is a subordinate unit of the Strategic Forces, which oversees all missile units in the North.

The KN-08 was first unveiled in a military parade in April 2012 during celebrations of the 100th birthday of North Korea founder Kim Il-sung, grandfather of current leader Kim Jong-un.

The North is believed to be developing its abilities to build a nuclear warhead small enough to fit on its KN-08 ICBMs to hit the U.S. mainland.

In its annual report to Congress, the Pentagon stated in February that if the KN-08 is properly designed and developed, it could be difficult to track because of its mobility.

On Feb. 7, Pyongyang launched what it claims is an Earth observation satellite called Kwangmyongsong-4, which is widely regarded as a cover for testing ICBM technology.