04 April 2013 (22:59 UTC-07 Tango 03 April 2013)/23 Jumada l-Ula 1434/15 Farvardin 1391/24 Yi-Mao (2nd month) 4711

The ROK Yonhap news agency reporting that the DPRK is demanding all South Koreans must leave Kaesŏng Industrial Region (KIR).  However, Republic of Korea government officials swear they’ve received no such demand from Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: “The North required some companies to submit their plan to leave Kaesong for Seoul by April 10. But, it was misinformed as if it was a demand for all pullout of workers from Kaesong.”-ROK Ministry of Unification statement

Yonhap news agency also reporting that DPRK medium range ballistic missiles are being moved to the east coast along the Sea of Japan (facing the Pacific).

The Yonhap article says the missile move was what prompted the U.S. to send THAAD system to Guam.  There is speculation the ballistic missile will be launched mid-April (possibly on 15 April, is there a connection to the 10 April date for South Koreans to get out of KIR?).  U.S. and ROK analysts think it is a new BM25 Musudan (aka Taepodong X, Nodong/Rodong-B and Mirim) missile.

North Korea has never test fired the missile, it was first revealed in October 2010.  It’s estimated to have a range of 4000 kilometers (2485 miles), which puts Guam within its reach.  North Korea has already declared the ‘launch area’ a no fly/no sail zone.

But wait, there’s more!  Japan’s Asahi Shimbun reporting that North Korea’s long range KN-08 ballistic missiles are also being moved to the east Sea of Japan coastline.  The missiles have a range of 10000 kilometers (6213.7 miles).  That puts the Pacific Coast of North America within their reach.

Asahi Shimbun says their source for the information comes from military officials in South Korea, Japan and United States.