North Korea appears to be preparing for another ballistic missile launch after marking its founding anniversary on Saturday, Radio Free Asia reported Friday.

Workers started repairing an underground missile launch pad in Samjiyon, Ryanggang Province. Signs show that the regime is replacing an old Paektusan-1 or Taepodong-1 missile with a new Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile, sources told RFA.

Rebar and cement bags camouflaged are being brought into the missile base secretly at dead of night every day. The underground missile bases in Samjiyon sit 2,000 m above sea level, and missiles launched from here can fly much farther away than from other known bases.

A Cheong Wa Dae official said, "We're keeping a close watch on North Korean activities and discussing how to react if they provoke again."

Meanwhile, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission here said it has finally found some traces of radioactive xenon from the North's recent nuclear test.

But a commission official said, "We can't say for sure whether that the material is proof of a nuclear test because the amount is too small." He added radioactivity is normal across the country.

