NIS voices doubt over N. Korea’s ability to supply missiles to launchers

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) expressed skepticism Monday over North Korea's ability to supply missiles to the hundreds of new launchers it plans to deploy to the front lines, lawmakers said. Earlier this month, North Korea reported that its leader Kim Jong-un attended a ceremony to mark the transfer of new tactical missile launchers to front-line units, describing them as "new pivotal attack" weapons. "Even if it has the 250 or so launchers that it disclosed through the press, we have doubts about whether it can supply them with missiles," the NIS told the parliamentary intelligence committee, according to Rep. Lee Seong-kweun of the ruling People Power Party and Rep. Park Sun-won of the main opposition Democratic Party during a press briefing. "North Korea has been operating missile and weapons production systems to supply Russia with weapons as part of their military cooperation, so we suspect that they may be difficult to supply (to the transporter erector launchers)," the spy agency was quo ted as saying. The NIS put the range of the missiles at around 110 kilometers, saying they could hit the Chungcheong provinces south of Seoul if they were fired from the front lines. The NIS also gave an assessment of the recent flood damage in the North, saying the province of Jagang appeared to be the hardest hit, but that Kim likely visited the less-affected North Phyongan Province in order to avoid exposing military installations in Jagang to the public. North Korea may also have intended to build confidence in the regime by having Kim visit North Phyongan Province and invite its residents to Pyongyang, the agency said. Meanwhile, Russia has offered to send aid for flood relief, and Kim has expressed gratitude, it added. Source: Yonhap News Agency