South Korea, separated from the North by the world's most heavily armed border, said the test launches would further deepen its neighbor's international isolation, sour public opinion in the South toward Pyongyang and hurt efforts to control weapons of mass destruction.
He has tried South Korea: two years ago a summit in Pyongyang with South Korea's president, Kim Dae-jung, ended with promises of large dollops of South Korean aid in return for greater contact across the inter-Korean divide.
This week, in another event of interest to the Americans, a group of government ministers from South Korea is in Pyongyang, the North's capital, for four days of talks with their counterparts, which started on Tuesday October 14th.
Both, along with the rest of Asia and America, were watching closely the talks in Pyongyang between North and South Korea.
ECONOMIST: The region is about to get harder to manage, not easier
The U.S. position, shared with South Korea, has been that Pyongyang must first show it is willing to take concrete steps toward a suspension of its nuclear program before those talks can resume.
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has refused aid, trade and talks with North Korea until Pyongyang apologizes for its alleged sinking of a South Korean navy ship and shelling of Yeonpyong Island.
Kim Dae-jung, who died in 2009, and the Hyundai conglomerate were key players in the so-called Sunshine Policy years from 1998 to 2008, during which South Korea attempted to improve relations with Pyongyang through political engagement and financial support.
Chung Ju Yung, the veteran founder of Hyundai, South Korea's biggest conglomerate, arrived in Pyongyang on June 28th.
The U.S. and South Korea last week warned that the trip to Pyongyang by Mr. Iijima, a top adviser to the Abe cabinet, may hurt efforts to pressure North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Rep. Bill Richardson, D-New Mexico, plans to arrive in North Korea on Sunday to meet with the Pyongyang government on issues including peace with South Korea, missing American soldiers, and the food shortage in North Korea.
But Christopher Nelson, an Asia expert and vice-president of Samuels International Associates, points out that while the new South Korean leader has responded with tough words to Pyongyang's rhetoric, she has also indicated that if the North Koreans are willing to resume North-South talks, denuclearisation would not have to be the state end goal.
South Korea said North Korea torpedoed the ship, but Pyongyang denied this.
BBC: News - South Korea, US sign military plan against North 'provocations'
Yet the talks, which were held in Seoul and will be followed by a similar round in Pyongyang, fell short of the expectations of many South Koreans.
While Japan and South Korea indicated they might support a regional initiative to sway Pyongyang, China -- a key ally and aid donor to the North -- appeared to remain unconvinced.
On Thursday, a spokesman for the South Korean Defence Ministry, Kim Min-seok, said Pyongyang had been observed carrying out "various drills involving the army, navy and air force, " and that further exercises were being prepared, the Yonhap news agency reports.
The talks with China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the U.S. are designed to persuade Pyongyang to halt its weapons development.
South Korea's government reckons there is time to negotiate with Pyongyang.
Many in the South - and in Washington - will want to see concrete evidence of Pyongyang's willingness to do that.
Amid an administration review of North Korea, Clinton also spoke to the foreign ministers of Japan, South Korea, China and Australia -- key allies working to disarm Pyongyang, the spokesman said.
On Monday, South Korean President Park Geun-hye said that she took the threats from Pyongyang "very seriously".
South Korea says North Korea cannot unilaterally dissolve the armistice and has called on Pyongyang to tone down its language.
BBC: News - South Korea, US sign military plan against North 'provocations'
On Monday the widows of a former South Korean president and a former South Korean business tycoon crossed the inter-Korean border for a trip to Pyongyang to pay condolences.
U.S. and South Korean defense officials have said they've seen nothing to indicate that Pyongyang is preparing for a major military action, and there was no sign of an exodus of foreign companies or tourists from South Korea.
He indicates to South China Morning Post that China and the US may co-operate to contain Pyongyang.
South Korea has said North Korea cannot unilaterally dissolve the armistice and has called on Pyongyang to tone down its rhetoric.
South Korea's Unification Ministry, responsible for relations with North Korea, put the burden on Pyongyang.
WSJ: North Korea Suspends Operations at Kaesong Industrial Complex
Mr. Kay also would use economic and financial pressure points, especially suspending South Korean trade links with the North and Japan's money flows to North Korea, to compel Pyongyang to accept aggressive, intrusive inspections of its nuclear facilities.
South Korea's president recently offered to build roads and ports in the North and urged the government in Pyongyang to resume official talks.
South Korea's Yonhap news agency, citing unnamed Foreign Ministry officials, says the group were flown back to Pyongyang on Tuesday.
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