Another North Korea nuclear test likely

SEOUL, Jan 9 (Reuters) North Korea is likely to test another nuclear device, the commander of the US military in South Korea said today, but he declined to comment on reports that an explosion was imminent.

South Korean officials have said activity had been spotted near a suspected nuclear test site in North Korea but there was no evidence to suggest Pyongyang was about to test again. The North conducted its first test in October.

''There is no reason to believe that at some time in the future, when it serves their purposes, that they won't test another one,'' General B B Bell told a news conference.

''So I suspect some day they will,'' Bell said, adding he would not share any intelligence information about a possible test.

The US and South Korean military were fully capable of deterring North Korean aggression, and the combined forces would respond swiftly to thwart any North Korean attack, he said.

North Korea said on October 9 it had successfully conducted a nuclear test, and the isolated state has since repeatedly said it was boosting its deterrent against a possible US attack.

Six-way nuclear talks last month in Beijing made little progress with the United States pushing the North to make concrete steps toward scrapping its nuclear weapons programme and Pyongyang calling on Washington to end a crackdown on its international finances.

''DETERRENCE EXERCISE'' The United States denies it has any intention of attacking the North.

Bell said US forces would go ahead with an annual joint military exercise with South Korean troops that involves bringing U.S. troops and armaments into the South.

The drill has been held for years without major incident, but North Korea bitterly denounces the joint exercise as a preparation for an invasion and nuclear war.

''The scheduled exercise is not provocative in any way,'' Bell said. ''This is a routine deterrence exercise.'' Bell also called on Seoul to do more in terms of financing to keep the troops ready, prevent a delay in moving US forces out of a major garrison in Seoul and into a base to the south, as well as ensuring a smooth transfer of wartime command.

Seoul and Washington have agreed that between 2009 and 2012 South Korea would gain wartime operational command of its troops, changing an arrangement stemming from the 1950-1953 Korean War.

Bell said the shift could occur as soon as 2009, while the South Korean government is looking more towards 2012.

He is sure the two sides will find an acceptable date but cautioned that a firm structure must be established because, with North Korea mounting a large military presence near the border, it may be a matter of moments between the end of the armistice and the start of a crisis.

''The worst thing we could do is within minutes try to transfer command back and forth. This would cause an exploitable seam for military commanders that would be unacceptable.'' The United States has about 30,000 troops in South Korea to support the country's 670,000-strong military. North Korea has about 1.2 million troops, most of whom are stationed near the border that divides the peninsula.

Reuters LL DB1135