South Korea says North Korea missile launch not imminent

Reuters reports that South Korea's Unification Minister Hyun Intaek (Hyŏn In•t'aek, 현인택; also Hyeon Intaek) is saying that although preparations are going on, he "[doesn't] believe a missile launch is quite imminent." 

North Korea's neighbors — including ally and major supporter Beijing — have expressed disapproval of any such launch. The missile, we are told repeatedly, "is designed to carry a weapon as far as Alaska." 

Alaska! Half of Congress doesn't care about killing caribou in the ANWR, but Pyongyang tests a missile that could potentially reach that far if it ever worked and suddenly we're all furrowing our brows with concern and consternation. 

[above: The real danger of Arctic drilling is that a fatally injured oil platform can crawl for miles before finally dying.]

Meanwhile, South Korea and the United States are going ahead with military exercises.

[above: Requisite scary picture of military parade in Pyongyang, the kind of file photo that tends to go along with stories of North Korean missile tests. It's either that or pictures of South Korean kids playing near missiles at a war museum in central Seoul.]