YONHAP NEWS

Washington pre-notified Seoul of N.K. nuke test: spy chief

   SEOUL, May 26 (Yonhap) -- The United States had informed South Korea in advance of Pyongyang's latest nuclear test, Seoul's spy agency chief said Tuesday, adding China also knew but had not notified Seoul.

   Pyongyang said it conducted an underground nuclear test early Monday. The North detonated a nuclear device in October 2006 in its first-ever nuclear experiment.

   "We were pre-notified by the U.S. that the North will conduct a nuclear test," Won Sei-hoon, director of the National Intelligence Service, was quoted as saying at a meeting with the National Assembly's intelligence committee.

   Won said that the South Korean government did not receive any information from China, according to Rep. Park Young-sun of the opposition Democratic Party who was present at the closed-door meeting.

   "Our weather agency detected seismic activity (in the North) and relayed the information to the U.S. at 10:18 a.m," said Won.

   According to Won, a North Korean diplomat in New York notified the U.S. at around 9:30 a.m. Monday of his country's plan for a nuclear test unless the U.N. Security Council apologizes to Pyongyang for condemning the North's April 5 rocket launch.

   Beijing was informed of the test at 9:25 a.m. through an embassy, according to Won.

   North Korea had warned late last month that it will to ahead with nuclear and missile tests unless the U.N. Security Council apologizes for its punitive actions against Pyongyang.

   Won also told lawmakers that North Korea fired anti-ship cruise missiles from Wonsan at around 5 p.m. Monday and that he believes Pyongyang could carry out additional missile launches.

   odissy@yna.co.kr
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