North Korea conducts missile engine test - report

North Korea conducts missile engine test - report (NSI News Source Info) TOKYO - September 16, 2008: North Korea has conducted an engine ignition test for a long-range missile at a new launch site near its west coast, Japan's Kyodo agency said on Tuesday citing a South Korean intelligence source. The test at the Tongchang-ri site was detected by the U.S. KH-12 spy satellite, Kyodo quoted the intelligence source as saying. The base, located 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the North Korean border with China, has been under construction for several years, but the engine test site is already in operation, the source said. South Korea's defense minister was reported to have said last week that construction of the new base was almost complete and could be used to launch Taepodong-2 missiles capable of hitting targets in South Korea and reaching most of Japan. Pyongyang last conducted test launches of seven missiles, including the Taepodong-2 with a range of up to 6,000 km (3,700 miles), in July 2006. Later in 2006, the North conducted its first-ever nuclear bomb test.