The strike zone of North
Korean rocket forces includes "not only the bases of the puppet forces
and the U.S. imperialist aggression forces' bases in the inviolable land
of Korea, but also Japan, Guam and the U.S. mainland," the state-run
Korean Central News Agency reported.
But some analysts questioned the claim.
"That's been a desire or
an objective, politically, for North Korean leadership for quite some
time. But they have not demonstrated that capability," said Daniel
Pinkston of the International Crisis Group's North East Asia Program.
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"To acquire that
capability requires a lot of development and testing. And considering
what they've done so far ... I don't find that credible. But I do think
they're working toward acquiring that capability."
The claim from Pyongyang
comes amid increased tensions between the two Koreas after the North
test fired a long-range rocket in April. That rocket exploded shortly
after it was launched.
North Korea insisted it
was trying to launch a satellite into orbit, but the attempt was widely
viewed as a cover for a ballistic missile test.
Analysts say the
country's latest threat isn't surprising after South Korea announced it
reached a deal with the United States that allows Seoul to extend the
range of its ballistic missiles.
"What else can they say?
It was politically impossible for them not to react," said professor
Andrei Lankov of Kookmin University in Seoul.
On Sunday, South Korea
said it reached a deal with the United States that allows Seoul to
extend the range of its ballistic missiles to include the northern
peninsula of North Korea.
The deal with Washington
revised the range of Seoul's missiles from 300 kilometers (186 miles)
to 800 kilometers (497 miles), South Korean national security adviser
Chun Yung-woo told reporters.
"The important goal in
revising the missile pact is to deter armed provocation from North
Korea," Chun said. "If North Korea is to attack or provoke, we are able
to incapacitate its nuclear and missile (capabilities) in the early
stage. We have guaranteed various capabilities to protect the life and
safety of our people."
The South agreed in 1972
to limit its missile range to 180 kilometers (112 miles) in exchange
for access to U.S. missile technology. Guidelines were revised in 2001
to allow for a range of 300 kilometers.
The two Koreas signed an
armistice that ended the 1950-1953 Korean war, though a peace treaty
was never signed. Technically, the two countries remain in a state of
war.
Roughly 28,000 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea.
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