North Korea may test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) this week or next, a U.S. broadcaster reported Tuesday.
CBS's Seoul correspondent said the North is in the early stage of a launch cycle. The report said preparations were being made north of Pyongyang and were following the pattern of the November launch. A launch this week or next would be the most likely.
The report did not cite any sources.
However, it remains to be seen whether the North would press ahead with a launch, considering its leader Kim Jong-un floated in his New Year address the idea of sending a team to the PyeongChang Olympics in February.
Seoul asked for a high-level meeting the day after Kim's speech.
On Nov. 29, North Korea test-fired an ICBM that Reuters called the Hwasong-15. It flew for 53 minutes, soaring up to 4,500 kilometers before landing in the East Sea 210 kilometers from Japan's coast.
Kim boasted then that his country had become a nuclear weapons state.
Experts say the missile's trajectory meant it could target the entire U.S.
It was not certain, however, whether the North was successful with two pivotal technological breakthroughs -- miniaturization of the missile's payload and reentry know-how.
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