North Korea Preps More Launches, And An Heir

While South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported North Korea was preparing a medium-range missile from a base on its east coast, officials have confirmed that the North has also transported a long-range missile to a base near China in the west.

The medium-range missile, possibly a version of the Rodong series, was being readied at the Anbyon base, according to Yonhap, which did not indicate when the missile might be launched. The agency cited a South Korean lawmaker briefed by defense officials as its source.

Meanwhile, the long-range missile is believed to have a range of up to 4,000 miles, the JoongAng Ilbo newspaper reported. That range would give it the capability of reaching both Alaska and the Pacific island of Guam, which has major U.S. military assets.

Not much information is available yet on the succession rumors, but there has been much speculation that the latest series of moves by North Korea were related to a power shift in the country. However, both South Korean media and an opposition lawmaker said 67-year-old Kim Jong Il's youngest son, Jong Un, 26, has been picked to be the next leader.