6 January 2003
North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency accuses the United States of pursuing a plan of "military intervention against the DPRK" by moving forward with its plans to develop a ballistic missile defense system.
--"KCNA on U.S. Moves for MD Establishment," Korean Central News Agency, 6 January 2003, http://www.kcna.co.jp.

7 January 2003
Japanese and Indian foreign ministers express concerns over Pakistan's alleged role in the transfer of nuclear technology to North Korea. Japan's Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi says Pakistan's "clandestine transfer" of nuclear and missile technology to the DPRK will impact relations between Japan and Pakistan.
--"India, Japan Concerned over Alleged Pakistan-North Korea Nuke Link," Agence France Presse, 7 January 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com; "No Violation of Global Pacts, Pakistan Assures N Korea," Daily Times (Pakistan), 9 January 2003, http://www.dailytimes.com.pk.

7 January 2003
Japan's Defense Agency reportedly says North Korea's Nodong ballistic missile has a 50 percent chance of striking within a 2km radius of its target, making it more accurate than previously estimated. The Nodong missile has an estimated range of 1,300km and is capable of striking most of Japan.
--"North Korea's Missile Has Better tan Expected Accuracy: Report," Agence France Presse, 7 January 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com; "Japan Learns N. Korea's Nodong Missile May Be Accurate," Jiji Press Service, 7 January 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com.

11 January 2003
DPRK Ambassador to China Ch'oe Chin-su says North Korea may abandon the moratorium on ballistic missile tests that has been in place since 1999. Ch'oe suggests there may be potential to negotiate on the decision depending on U.S. policy towards North Korea.
--Hwang Yu-sŏng, Lee Yŏng-i, and Lee Ki-hong, "Puk, 'Misailsilhŏm Chaegae' Wihyŏp," Donga Ilbo, 13 January 2003, in KINDS, http://www.kinds.or.kr; Peter S. Goodman and Philip P. Pan, "N. Korea Threatens to Resume Missile Tests," Washington Post, 12 January 2003, pg. A1, http://www.washingtonpost.com.

13 January 2003
Rodong Sinmun, the official daily of the Korean Workers' Party, condemns the "U.S. piracy committed against the DPRK cargo ship Sŏsan as a blatant provocation" and warns against further actions to seize DPRK cargo ships carrying missiles.
--"Rodongsinmun 'Sŏsan' Hosagŏn'e Taehan Sajoewa Posang Yoku," Korean Central News Agency, 13 January 2003, http://www.kcna.co.jp/index-k.htm; "U.S. Warned Against Any More Piratic Acts Against DPRK Trading Cargo Ships," Korean Central News Agency, 13 January 2003, http://www.kcna.co.jp/index-e.htm.

13 January 2003
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs James Kelly visits South Korean and says Washington is ready for dialogue with Pyongyang over North Korea's withdrawal from the NPT and its renunciation of the moratorium on missile tests.
--Alexander Zyuzin, "US Willing to Talk to N Korea on Fuel Shortage-Kelly," ITAR-TASS, 13 January 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com.

14 January 2003
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi implores North Korea to maintain a moratorium on missile tests.
--"Japan Urges N Korea to Maintain Moratorium on Missile Tests," Agence France Presse, 14 January 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com.

14 January 2003
Following North Korea's announcement to end the missile test moratorium, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhang Qiyue expresses China's displeasure but urges, "No party should make any move that would further escalate the situation."
--"China Warns of Escalation after N Korean Threat to Test Missiles," Agence France Presse, 14 January 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com.

20 January 2003
North Korea's Central Broadcasting Station argues that the DPRK missile program is "strictly of a self-defensive and peaceful nature." The commentary also criticizes the U.S. and Japan for exaggerating the North Korean missile threat.
--"Cannot Take Issue with Strengthening Self-defensive Defence Capabilities," Central Broadcasting Station (Pyongyang), in "North Korean Daily Denounces US, Japan for 'Propagandizing' Missile Threat," BBC Monitoring, 20 January 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com.

23 January 2003
In response to U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's comment that the DPRK is the "biggest ballistic missile disseminator in the world," the Korean Central News Agency counters by criticizing the United States as the world's "biggest arms exporter."
--"KCNA Blasts U.S. Lip-service to Dialogue," Korean Central News Agency, 23 January 2003, http://www.kcna.co.jp.

24 January 2003
During a lower house budget committee meeting, Japanese Defense Agency Director General Shigeru Ishiba says Japan is constitutionally allowed to "counterattack" North Korea's missile bases if Pyongyang begins preparations for an attack on Japan. At the same meeting, Foreign Minister Kawaguchi states that it would be "within the legal framework of self-defense" for Japan to ask the U.S. to execute a preemptive attack against a North Korean missile launch.
--"Ishiba: Japan to 'Counterattack' If N. Korea Prepares to Attack," 25 January 2003, Yomiuri Shimbun, in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com; "Japan Can Ask US Forces to Stop Any N Korean Missile Attack: Defence Chief," Agence France Presse, 24 January 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com.

January 2003
According to Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun, U.S. satellite imagery detects a static engine test for the Paektusan-2 ICBM at the Musudan-ri test site in North Hamgyong Province. The test is not confirmed by U.S. or South Korean sources.
--Lee Pyong-sok, "Yomiurishinmun Podo ‘Puk Taep’odong Misailbunsashilhom’," Munhwa Ilbo, 28 February 2003, in KINDS, ; "N. Korea Tests Ballistic Missile Booster in Jan.: Paper," Japan Economic Newswire, 27 February 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, ; David C Isby, "North Korean Missile Tests Raise Regional Tensions," Jane’s Missiles and Rockets, 18 March 2003. www.janes.com

4 February 2003
At the request of Tsutomu Arai, director of Japan's Nonproliferation Division at the Foreign Ministry, Petr Litavrin, deputy director-general of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Security and Arms Control Bureau, agrees to urge Pyongyang not to test-fire ballistic missiles.
--"Japan Asks Russia to Urge N. Korea Not to Test-fire Missiles," Japan Economic Newswire, 4 February 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com; "Japan, Russia Agree to Prevent N. Korea's Nuke Development," Jiji Press Service, 4 February 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com.

9 February 2003
Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun reports that an internal Japanese government document features a detailed plan to address the North Korean missile threat. The plan includes demanding that Pyongyang suspend any missile test launches, a public alert system in the case of North Korea preparing to launch missiles, and dispatching of Self-Defense Forces personnel "to deal with disasters" should a missile land within Japanese territory or waters.
--"Govt. Devises N. Korea Missile Plan," The Daily Yomiuri (Tokyo), 9 February 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com; "Gov't Prepares for Scenario of N. Korean Missile Launch: Paper," Kyodo News Service, 8 February 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com.

11 February 2003
CIA Director George Tenet testifies before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee and says that the United States could face a "near term" missile threat from North Korea.
--"The Worldwide Threat in 2003: Evolving Dangers in a Complex World," DCI's Worldwide Threat Briefing, 11 February 2003, https://www.cia.gov.

13 February 2003
Japan's Defense Agency Director-General Shigeru Ishiba says Japan "will use military force as a self-defense measure" against North Korea if it is clear that the DPRK is preparing a ballistic missile strike against Japan. He adds that Tokyo will consider the process of fuelling a missile as the start of a military strike if the missile is pointed at Japan. Ishiba also states that the government will push Japan's parliament to enact "crisis-legislation" granting the military broader ability to act in case of a direct attack against Japan.
--"Japan Says it Would Strike North Korea if Attack Imminent," Channel NewsAsia, 13 February 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com; Stephen Lunn, "Japan Vows to Get in First Shot at N Korea - Countdown to War," The Weekend Australian, 15 February 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com.

14 February 2003
Japan's Defense Agency Director-General Shigeru Ishiba denies that Japan is preparing a preemptive strike against the DPRK to prevent a missile attack on Japan saying there is no "imminent danger of a missile launch" from North Korea and that "Japan is not making any special preparations" in response to the tense situation in North Korea.
--"Japan Defense Chief Denies Preparing Pre-emptive Strike on N. Korea," Agence France Presse, 14 February 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com; "N. Korea's Missile Threat Not Imminent: Defense Min.," Jiji Press Ticker Service, 14 February 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com/.

14 February 2003
Defense Agency spokesman Akihiro Kobe says Defense Agency Director Ishiba's 13 February comments, in which he suggested Japan would launch a military strike if it had firm evidence of an imminent North Korean missile attack, was a reference to a legal argument that Japan has a constitutional right to self-defense.
--"Japan Defense Chief Denies Preparing Pre-emptive Strike on N. Korea," Agence France Presse, 14 February 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com.

24 February 2003
On the eve of South Korean President elect Roh Moo-Hyun's inauguration, North Korea fires a short-range anti-ship cruise missile, which travels 60 km before falling into the sea of Japan. Initially believed to be a CSSC-3 Seersucke" or AG-1, the cruise missile is later classified as either a Seersucker or a KN-01, which is a North Korean enhanced version of the Seersucker with an approximate range of 200km. The missile was launched from a Korean People's Navy coastal defense site located at either North Hamgyŏng Province or South Hamgyŏng Province. The test comes as U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell is on a diplomatic tour of East Asia having visited Japan and China before arriving in Seoul for Roh's inauguration. Japan's Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is also at the inauguration. This is the first North Korean missile firing since the Paektusan-1 ballistic missile was launched over Japan on 31 August 1998.
--Han P'yŏng-su, "Misail Palsa Anp'ak," Munhwa Ilbo, 25 February 2003, in KINDS, http://www.kinds.or.kr; Doug Struck et al, "N. Korea Fires Missile on Eve of Transition In the South," Washington Post, 25 February 2003, pg. A1, http://www.thewashingtonpost.com; Lim Chang-Won, "North Korea fires missile as Roh becomes South Korean president," Agence France Presse, 25 February 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com; Joseph Bermudez, "North Korea Tests Anti-ship Cruise Missiles," Jane's Defense Weekly, 28 February 2003, http://www.janes.com.

25 February 2003
Japan's Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda say North Korea's 24 February missile test-launch does not violate the Japan-North Korea Pyongyang Declaration of September 2002 because it was an anti-ship cruise missile and not a long-range ballistic missile. Kawaguchi however calls on North Korea to be calm, saying that the missile launch does not "contribute to the easing of regional tensions."
--"Govt Says N. Korea Missile Launch Didn't Violate Bilateral Declaration," Yomiuri Shimbun, 26 February 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com; "Pyongyang Fires Missile into Sea," Korea Times, 26 February 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com.

25 February 2003
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell downplays the North Korean cruise missile test, saying it was not "particularly surprising" and "seems to be a fairly innocuous" test that does not violate North Korea's moratorium on tests of long-range ballistic missiles.
--"Press Conference," U.S. Department of State, 25 February 2003, http://www.state.gov.

25 February 2003
An unidentified South Korean Ministry of Defense official says North Korea's cruise missile test appears to a part of a regular "winter military drill" by the North Korean military.
--Park Pyŏng-jin, "Misail Sihŏmpbalsa Paegyŏng; Puk Yŏllyejŏk Tonggyehullyŏn Kanŭngsŏng," Segye Ilbo, 26 February 2003, in KINDS, http://www.kinds.or.kr; Anwar Iqbal, "U.S. Downplays North Korean Missile Test," United Press International, 25 February 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com.

25 February 2003
During a Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in Kuala Lumpur, some NAM member countries express disappointment over North Korea's withdrawal from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and test-launch of missiles despite appeals from NAM members to reconsider. A representative of the DPRK, which is a member of NAM, brushed aside concerns and questions regarding Pyongyang's missile launch the previous day.
--Park Pyŏng-jin, "Misail Sihŏmpbalsa Paegyŏng; Puk Yŏllyejŏk Tonggyehullyŏn Kanŭngsŏng," Segye Ilbo, 26 February 2003, in KINDS, http://www.kinds.or.kr; "Non-aligned Nations Express Concern over N. Korea Missile Launch," Deutsche Presse-Agentur, 25 February 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com.

26 February 2003
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage reportedly tells Japanese lawmakers that U.S. Forces would execute an immediate "counterattack" against North Korea if the DPRK military carries out a missile attack on Japan.
--"U.S. to Counter N. Korea Missile Attack on Japan: Armitage," Japan Economic Newswire, 26 February 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com.

27 February 2003
The Japanese government announces that it does not intend to protest North Korea's launching of an anti-ship cruise missile on 24 February 2003.
--"Japan Not to Protest N. Korea's Missile Launch Mon.," Japan Economic Newswire, 27 February 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com.

27 February 2003
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda denies a Yomiuri Shimbun report that claims U.S. satellite imagery detected a static engine test for the Paektusan-2 long-range ballistic missile at the Musudan-ri test site in North Hamgyŏng Province in January 2003. Fukuda says, "We have not received information as reported in the media."
--Lee Pyŏng-sŏk, "Yomiurishinmun Podo 'Puk Taep'odong Misailbunsashilhŏm'," Munhwa Ilbo, 28 February 2003, in KINDS, http://www.kinds.or.kr; "N. Korea Tests Ballistic Missile Booster in Jan.: Paper," Japan Economic Newswire, 27 February 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, http://web.lexis-nexis.com.

3 March 2003
A North Korean radio broadcast accuses the United States of spreading "rumors of [North Korea's] missile threat." The commentary reiterates the official North Korean position that its missiles are not meant to "threaten anyone," and that the missile systems are solely for "self-defense."
--"Scheme Cannot Hide Dark Nature," Korean Central Broadcasting Station (Pyongyang), 3 March 2003, in "North Korean Radio Reiterates 'Self-defensive' Purpose of Missiles," BBC Worldwide Monitoring, 20 January 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>.

3 March 2003
The Japanese government announces that it will not allow its Self-Defense Forces (SDF) to counter a North Korean attack and that the nation will instead rely on U.S. forces to counter such an attack. The statement also says that the government will publicly announce any North Korean missile launch and if a missile hits Japanese territory, its SDF will be dispatched for "disaster relief operations."
--"SDF Troops Will Not Respond With Force to N. Korea Attack," Mainichi Daily News, 3 March 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>.

4 March 2003
Four North Korean fighter jets intercept an unarmed U.S. reconnaissance plane in international airspace, but do not fire upon it. The plane, an RC-135S "Cobra Ball" which tracks ballistic-missile launchings, is shadowed for 22 minutes approximately 150 miles off the North Korean coast by the jets.
--Eric Schmitt, "North Korea: MiGs Intercept U.S. Jet on Spying Mission," The New York Times, 4 March 2003, p. A1, <http://www.nytimes.com/>.

10 March 2003
North Korea fires a surface-to-air cruise missile, but a South Korean official says the missile explodes in mid-air before reaching its target some 110 miles away in the Sea of Japan. The missile is believed to be the same type of anti-ship cruise missile fired by the DPRK on 24 February 2003.
--Jong-Heon Lee, "N.Korea Fires Another Land-to-Ship Missile," United Press International, 10 March 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>; Doug Struck, "N. Korea Test-Fires Missile Into Sea of Japan," The Washington Post, 10 March 2003, p. A17, <http://washingtonpost.com/>.

10 March 2003
Jane's Defence Weekly reports that the DPRK's missile tests on 24 February 2003 and 10 March 2003 "appear" to have employed an "indigenously designed extended-range version of the CSSC-3 'Seersucker' medium-range anti-ship missile." [Note: The "Seersucker" is sometimes referred to as the AG-1 as it was first test fired from the An-gol army barracks on North Korea's east coast in May 1997. Previous news reports on the missile tests have classified the missiles as short-range; this article is likely the first to classify the missiles as medium-range.]
--Joseph Bermudez Jr., "North Korea Continues Anti-ship Cruise Missile Tests," Jane's Defence Weekly, 10 March 2003, <http://www.janes.com>.

10 March 2003
Japan's defense chief, Shigeru Ishiba, states that North Korea's missile test is not "considered to have a significant impact on [Japan's] national safety."
--Doug Struck, "N. Korea Test-Fires Missile into Sea of Japan," The Washington Post, 10 March 2003, p. A17, <http://www.washingtonpost.com/>.

10 March 2003
Washington refuses to hold direct talks with Pyongyang despite North Korea's cruise missile test. U.S. officials say that talks with North Korea may eventually happen as part of a "broader dialogue." [Note: North Korea has repeatedly called upon the U.S. to engage in bilateral rather than multilateral talks regarding the DPRK's nuclear program].
--"US Rejects North Korea's Demand for Direct Talks to End Nuke Crisis," Agence France Presse, 10 March 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>; Yonhap News Agency, 14 February 2003, in "North Korean envoy to UN Reiterates Calls for Bilateral Talks With USA," BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific, 14 February 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>.

18 March 2003
In an official statement, the DPRK Foreign Ministry criticizes the United States and Japan for maintaining "rumors...that North Korea may launch ballistic missiles again." The statement also calls Japan's deployment of "military hardware" meant to "monitor and intercept" North Korean missiles a "sinister attempt." The statement also claims that Japanese plans to launch a spy-satellite and establish missile defense systems are "hostile act[s]" which "cannot be interpreted as a sincere attitude toward the Pyongyang declaration."
--"Spokesman for DPRK Foreign Ministry on Rumor About its Possible Missile Launch=," Korean Central News Agency, 18 March 2003, <www.kcna.co.jp>.

19 March 2003
The Rodong Sinmun, official daily of the Korean Workers' Party, publishes a commentary accusing Japan of being in a "great hurry" to "introduce the U.S. interceptor missile system," and intending to "reinvade the DPRK." The editorial warns that if Japan "keeps acting recklessly...it will have to pay dearly for it."
--Rodong Sinmun, 19 March 2003, in "Japan Urged to Stop Acting Rashly," Korean Central News Agency, 19 March 2003, <www.kcna.co.jp>.

28 March 2003
Japan launches a rocket placing two spy-satellites into low-earth orbit despite threats of "disastrous consequences" by the DPRK. The satellites will allow Japan to detect preparations for ballistic missile launches at North Korean missile sites.
--James Brooke, "Japan Launches Spy Satellite Despite North Korean Threats," The New York Times, 28 March 2003, <http://www.nytimes.com/>.

28 March 2003
A DPRK Foreign Ministry spokesperson says that by launching a spy satellite using an H-2A rocket, Japan is "wantonly violating the DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration [of September 2002] whereby both sides committed themselves to refrain from doing any act threatening the other side." The spokesperson also says that "Japan will be held wholly responsible for sparking a new arms race in Northeast Asia."
--"DPRK Foreign Ministry Spokesman Blasts Japan's Launch of Spy Satellite," Korean Central News Agency, 28 March 2003, <www.kcna.co.jp>.

29 March 2003
Japanese Defense Agency Director-General Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean Defense Minister Cho Young Kil discuss the threat of North Korea's ballistic missile program and say that the North Korean nuclear issue should be resolved peacefully. Cho states that there is no "specific evidence" to suggest North Korea is preparing a ballistic missile launch. Ishiba says that the missile defense system being developed by the United States and Japan is a "wholly defensive system and the only way to defend" Japan from the North Korean ballistic missile threat.
--"Japan, S. Korea to Resolve N. Korean Issue Peacefully," Japan Economic Newswire, 29 March 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>.

1 April 2003
One or two North Korean planes intrude into Japan's airspace and flew in the direction of a Japanese reconnaissance plane. This event marks North Korea's first physical action towards Japan following Pyongyang's disclosure of its nuclear program in October 2002. The DPRK planes left Japan's airspace before two Japanese F-15 fighters had the opportunity to intercept.
--Green, Shane, "Alarm as North Korean Planes Enter Japanese Airspace," Sydney Morning Herald, 10 April 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>; Green, Shane, "Japan Scrambles Jets after Korean Breach," The Age, 10 April 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>.

9 April 2003
The 15-member UN Security Council meet to discuss North Korea's suspected nuclear weapons programs. Division in the council leads to no solid conclusions or plans for future action. The delegations of China and Russia - two Security Council members opposed to issuing a statement condemning North Korea's nuclear activities - raise concerns that this meeting will exacerbate the already volatile situation. Pyongyang had previously issued statements saying that the UN talks are a "prelude to war" and that it would consider any UN sanctions as a "declaration of war."
--Hewitt, Giles, "UN Split on Crisis in Korea-Nuclear Threat Mounts," Daily Telegraph, 10 April 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>.

22 April 2003
According to a report in the South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo, a U.S. spy satellite witnessed a strong explosion in 2002 at North Korea's missile launch site at Musudan-ri, Hwadae County, northeast of Pyongyang. The information was passed to the South Korean government in November 2002. The missile engine test reportedly caused extensive damage to the facility and its operations and postponed the manufacturing and trial launch of North Korea's long-range Taepodong II. South Korean military officials refuse to comment on the allegations.
--"U.S. spy satellite Monitors North Korea Missile Blast," Courier Mail, 22 April 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>; Hyung-jin, Kim, "Explosion Reported in North Korean Missile Site," The Korea Herald, 22 April 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>.

29 April 2003
US Secretary of State Colin Powell confirms that during three-way talks in Beijing one week earlier, North Korea pledged to end its nuclear program and suspend its testing and selling of missiles if the United States committed to a list of North Korean requests. Requests included "economic assistance, a non-aggression guarantee from the United States and normalization of relations." U.S. officials warn that this was not the first time that North Korea made disarmament promises and that the U.S. government will have "to look at what [the DPRK has] said this time and determine what it means." With respect to the deal North Korea has offered, the White House states that the United States "will not reward North Korea for bad behavior."
--Eccleston, Roy, "North Korea Offers Deal on Nuclear Program," The Australian, 30 April 2007, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>; Julian Borger and Jonathan Watts, "North Korea Offers New Peace Deal: US to Study Nuclear Weapons Proposal," The Guardian, 29 April 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>.

21 May 2003
Two high-level North Korean defectors testify in front of the U.S. Congress about missile tests that North Korea conducted in Iran. One of the defectors, "Bok", claimed to have worked as a missile scientist at Plant 39 in Huichon, Jagang province for nearly a decade before he defected in 1997. He testifies that he was shipped by the DPRK government to Iran to collaborate with scientists on the activation and testing of a missile-control vehicle. Plant 39 subsequently manufactured more of the missile-control vehicles and "Bok" also revealed that "90% of components used in the North Korean missile project were smuggled in on scheduled ferry services from Japan". The second witness, "defector No.1", exposes that Kim Jong-il's desperate regime is producing large quantities of heroin and methamphetamines in exchange for hard currency.
--Agence France Presse (AFP), "North Korea's Shady Deals Revealed," Herald Sun, 22 May 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>.

22 June 2007
According to Japan's Daily Yomiuri newspaper, the allegation that North Korea's nuclear arsenal has grown to include nuclear warheads capable of being carried by ballistic missiles was confirmed by U.S. and South Korean observers of North Korea's nuclear program. The report explains that North Korea had "already downsized nuclear warheads to about 1 ton each--small enough to be carried by the North's Rodong medium-range ballistic missile."
--Ishiguro et al., "North Korea's Nuclear Threat Growing, Analysts Say," Daily Yomiuri, 22 June 2007, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>.

3 July 2003
According to the New York Times, the Bush administration enacts economic sanctions on six Asian firms that had supposedly helped Iran's nuclear weapons program. One of the firms, North Korea's Changgwang Sinyong Corporation, has a history of involvement in North Korean missile sales and was acknowledged in early 2003 as the company involved in a trade agreement between Pakistan and North Korea.
--Sanger, David E., "US Penalizes Six Asian Firms for Helping Iran Arm Itself", New York Times, 3 July 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>.

13 July 2003
An article published by The Business estimates that Pyongyang receives up to $550 million annually from missiles-related sales and potentially $100 million more from currency counterfeiting. The country's state run drug industry tops this figure with approximate revenue of $500 million to $1 billion. It was reported that U.S. intelligence agencies were looking into a possible correlation between opium imports from Afghanistan and compensation for North Korean missiles acquired by Pakistan.
--Fenby, Johnathan, "North Korea Uses Drugs to Beat Downturn", The Business, 13 July 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>.

27 July 2003
According to an Austrian Intelligence Report, North Korea's sole state bank in Europe, the Golden Star Bank in Vienna, is in reality the DPRK's European headquarters for illicit trade in missile technology. The Austrian report claims that agents raise money for Kim Jong Il's regime "by selling weapons and missile technology to Third World countries and countries in crisis in the Near and Middle East (for example, Syria, Iran, Iraq or Libya)." A representative for the bank declared the report to be full of "false accusations." The Asian Wall Street Journal also claims that the bank is part of a secret financial network controlled by Bureau 39 (part of the ruling Communist Korean Workers' Party), which was set up in the 1970s to produce hard currency. The newspaper report also alleges that Bureau 39 is involved in drug-smuggling, counterfeiting, and an illicit weapons trading operation that is estimated to make more than a billion dollars in annual revenues. The Korean Daesong Bank's branches in Vienna, Macao, Seoul and Beijing are alledged conduct Bureau 39's illicit activities.
--Burgermeister, Jane, "North Korean Bank is 'Front for Arms Trade', The Observer, 27 July 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>.

8 August 2003
A North Korean freighter believed to be transporting illicit and hazardous chemical materials is inspected by Taiwanese officials while in transit at Kaohsiung Harbor in southern Taiwan. The search of the Be Gaehung was sparked by a tip from U.S. intelligence that the freighter contained approximately one metric ton of hydrafil (also known as aluminum hydroxide), a dual-use compound that could be used in the production of ballistic missiles. Taiwan's Central News Agency reports that "Hydrafil is not dangerous in itself, however, if combined with other chemicals, it can be processed into alumina which can be used in making the outer shells of missiles and other related materials."
--"Taiwan Customs Officials Search North Korean Freighter" Central News Agency, 8 August 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>.

9 August 2003
U.S. intelligence officials issues a report based on spy satellite images claiming that North Korea was rebuilding a destroyed missile facility on its northeastern coast which had been previously used for testing Paektusan-2 (Taepodong-2) long-range ballistic missile.
--"Japanese Agency: US Says North Korea Rebuilt Damaged Weapons Site," Kyodo News Service, 9 August 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>.

26 August 2003
Japanese officials detain the Mangyongbong-92, a North Korean ferry that was allegedly transporting missile parts, drugs and illicit funds, at the Japanese port of Nigata. The ferry, detained for safety violations, is the only direct passenger link between North Korea and Japan. In May 2003, two North Korean defectors testified to the U.S. Congress that the ferry carried up to 80 percent of the parts needed for North Korea's ballistic missile program, according to a British news source. Pyongyang denied the allegations, claiming that the ferry is used to ship "essential supplies and North Koreans living in Japan on visits to see relatives."
--McCurry, Justin, "Japan Detains North Korean Ferry", The Guardian, 26 August 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>.

16 September 2003
A commentator for a North Korean satellite TV station declares that "the development, deployment, and export of missiles are issues pertaining to [our] sovereign rights."
The broadcast elaborates on what North Korea would consider a declaration of war to be, stating: "We have already declared that we would recognize any act of interdiction against our vessels and aircraft as a declaration of war against us and that we would take strong countermeasures." The report followed Pacific Protector, the September 13 maritime military exercise under the U.S.-led Proliferation Security Initiative, in which countries including the United States, Japan, Australia, France, participated.
--Korean Central Satellite TV, "North Korean TV Says Missile Exports a 'Sovereign Right'", in BBC Monitoring, 16 September 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>.

3 October 2003
David Kay, chief the weapons inspector of the U.S.-led Iraq Survey Group reports that Sadaam Hussein's regime paid the North Korean government $10 million for "missile technology for the Nodong, a 1,300-kilometer missile, as well as other non-missile related but prohibited technologies" prior to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, yet never collected any weapon technology due to U.S. pressure on North Korea. A CIA adviser to the Defense Department confirmed that Iraq was never compensated for the $10 million it paid to North Korea.
--Gertz, B., Dinan, S., "Iraq Paid North Korea to Deliver Missiles; US Pressure Blocked Deal," Washington Times, 4 October 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>; Dana Priest and Dana Milbank, "Iraq Sought Missile Parts, President Says; But Reports Dispute Other White House Claims," Washington Post, 4 October 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>.

20 October 2003
The North Korean government conducts a missile test of a new cruise missile. According to U.S. officials, the weapon was "fired from the northeast coast of North Korea and traveled into the East Sea/Japan Sea." This was the third test of the missile which is a "modification of the Chinese-designed HY-2 Silkworm" with a range of approximately 100 miles," according to the press reports.
--Gertz, Bill, "North Korea Retests 100-mile-range Cruise Missile", The Washington Times, 21 October 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>; Kyodo News Service, "Japanese Minister Downplays North Korea's 20 October Missile Test," in BBC Monitoring, 21 October 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>.

21 October 2003
Japanese Defense Agency representatives allege that North Korea test fired a second ground-to-ship Silkworm missile into the Sea of Japan. According to the Yonhap "Japanese officials said the launch of the short-range missile posed no threat to the North's neighbors and is believed to be part of a regular military exercise."
--Kyodo News Service, "Japanese Defense Officials Say North Korea Test-Fires Missiles," in BBC Monitoring, 21 October 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>; "South Korea Trying to Confirm Whether North Conducted Thirds Missile Test, BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific¸26 October 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>; Yonhap News Agency, "South Korean Official: North Missile Launch 'Routine Training,'" in BBC Monitoring, 20 October 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>.

14 November 2003
The DPRK's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reacts to South Korea's deployment of 100 tactical ground-to-ground missiles, citing the deployment "intolerable" and in response to "the U.S. strategy to mount a preemptive nuclear attack on the DPRK."
--KCNA, "North Korean News Agency Says South's Missile Deployment 'intolerable'," in BBC Monitoring, 14 November 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>.

1 December 2003
Bush administration officials report that Sadaam Hussein was anticipating a large weapons deal with North Korea previous to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. According to retrieved computer files reviewed by weapons inspectors, talks regarding the purchase of Nodong missiles and the idea of creating "a full production line to manufacture, under an Iraqi flag, the North Korean missile system, which would be capable of hitting American allies and bases around the region" were conducted in Syria without the knowledge of the Syrian government. Sadaam Hussein's initial payment of $10 million dollars was neither put towards the project nor reimbursed. Iraqi officials demanded that North Korea hold to its end of the bargain; however the imminent U.S. invasion prevented officials from obtaining compensation.
--Sanger, David E. and Thom Shanker, "A Region Inflamed: Weapons; For the Iraqis, a Missile Deal That Went Sour; Files Tell of Talks With North Korea," The New York Times, December 1, 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>.

29 December, 2003
North Korea opposes Japan's decision on 19 December to create a missile defense system, claiming that Japan's plan will not be able to challenge the DPRK's "self-defensive striking force" and that boosting Japan's self-defense is unnecessary. A North Korean news source threatens that Japan will face "destruction that will leave them unable to revive" if they continue to "advance towards becoming a military power and waging war."
--Korean Central Satellite TV, "North Korea Warns Japan Against Missile Defence System," in BBC Monitoring, 29 December 2003, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>.

	Updated August 2008