US unruffled by N Korea missile

US unruffled by N Korea missile

Roh Moo-hyun has become South Korea's 16th president

The Bush administration has played down the significance of a missile launch by North Korea, while stressing that Pyongyang should not expect to gain from such moves.

Pyongyang fired a missile into the sea between Japan and the Korean peninsula hours before the inauguration of South Korea's new president.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell, in South Korea for the ceremony, said it was not "particularly surprising or shocking or disturbing."

And White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said it was North Korea's way of attracting attention and saying "please pay me".

"Typically at times of inaugural festivities, most countries send flowers or bouquets or visiting dignitaries - North Korea sent a short-range cruise missile.

"North Korea will not be rewarded for bad behaviour," he said.

Despite the apparent calm from US officials, correspondents say it was a provocative move by Pyongyang.

The missile landed harmlessly in international waters east of South Korea, on the eve of President Roh Moo-hyun's swearing in.

Reports suggested the missile was a short range land-to-ship missile which fell 60 kilometres (36 miles) from the Korean peninsula.

North Korea has a self-imposed moratorium on long-range missile testing.

President Roh did not refer to the incident in his inauguration speech, but he did urge North Korea to renounce its nuclear ambitions.

Bizarre behaviour

Mr Powell played down Monday's launch, saying it was an old type of missile and that US officials had heard such a launch was impending.

But he stressed that North Korea must give up its nuclear ambitions "once and for all", if its people were to have a better future.

In Washington, Mr Fleischer said: "North Korea has a history of engaging in rather bizarre actions and then expecting the world to pay them or negotiate with them to give them something in exchange for them stopping doing what they shouldn't have done in the first place."

Later on Tuesday, North Korea complained that an American reconnaissance plane had intruded into its air space on Monday and on previous days.

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Pyongyang regularly makes such accusations, but the latest comes at a time of heightened tensions between North Korea and the US, at odds over the secretive state's nuclear programme.

Monday's missile launch will fan fears in Tokyo of a repeat of the incident in 1998 when North Korea fired a multi-stage rocket over Japan and into the Pacific Ocean, proving that all of its neighbour was in range of its missiles.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi called on North Korea for calm on Tuesday.

A Japanese defence agency source reportedly said two missiles were fired, at different times on Monday, but one of them failed.

Japanese government officials said it was likely that North Korea would launch another missile on Wednesday.

China, North Korea's major ally, called for all parties to show restraint.

Roh Moo-hyun

Former human rights lawyer

Imprisoned for political activism

At 56, considered young to be leader

Click here for profile

The missile launch is an immediate headache for Mr Roh, a former human rights lawyer who is a novice in global affairs.

"It is up to Pyongyang whether to go ahead and obtain nuclear weapons or to get guarantees for the security of its regime and international economic support," the leader said as he took office.

President Roh, who wants to engage his country's northern neighbour in dialogue, has expressed concern at tough US rhetoric against Pyongyang.

Mr Powell said he had reassured Mr Roh on this issue, stressing that "the United States has no plans to invade North Korea. There are no armies on the march". But he said that he refused to rule out military force as an option.

North Korea wants direct talks with the US on the nuclear issue, but Mr Powell said Mr Roh understood Washington's view that it must be solved on a multilateral basis.

Mr Powell also announced Washington's pledge of food aid for North Korea this year, although the promised amount - up to 100,000 tonnes - is less than the amount the US contributed last year.

He stressed that such aid was distinct from the political tensions between the two countries.

North Korea has been embroiled in a tense stand-off with the US since American officials said last October that Pyongyang had admitted to a secret nuclear programme, a charge North Korea denied.

In recent months the US has voiced increasing frustration at what it sees as the unpredictable behaviour of the country and its ruler, Kim Jong-Il.