North Korea seems to be gearing up to fire missiles, a government source here said Friday, as the country's troops were ordered to be on a war footing.



"The North is showing signs of shooting off a Scud missile near Wonsan and a Rodong missile in the North Pyongan Province," the source said, citing detection results of its joint radar system with the United States.



Mobile launcher vehicles, loaded with Scud and Rodong missiles, have been detected, the source noted.



"It seems that (the North) is weighing the timing of the firing under its strategic intention to increase military tension on the Korean Peninsula to the highest level," the source noted.



The detected missiles are presumed to be a short-range Scud-C that can fly as far as 500 kilometers and a Rodong missile with the maximum range of 1,200 kilometers.



Such signs come as South Korea is bracing itself for more provocations following North Korea's firing of artillery rounds at South Korea's western border area.



As the North initiated the shelling attack on Thursday, North Korea demanded the South stop its loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts alongside the border, launched in retaliation for the North's detonation of landmines in the southern side of the demilitarized zone. The attack maimed two South Korean soldiers.



North Korea warned it will take military action if the South does not stop the propaganda warfare and remove all the broadcasting facilities by 5:00 p.m. Saturday. (Yonhap)