By Kang Hyun-kyung
North Korea has continued efforts to ready itself to conduct a third nuclear test and test-fire missiles any time, said a defense minister Monday.
During a National Assembly Defense Committee meeting, Minister of National Defense Kim Kwan-jin also said the chances for the North committing another provocation are higher now than at any other time.
He said recently the North Korean military has repeatedly conducted maritime operations to invade the South’s territory in both the East and West Sea.
“Recently North Korean patrol ships’ activities were spotted more often than before near the maritime border in the West Sea,” he said.
"North Korea is also continuing its activities to maintain its status for a nuclear test and missile launch."
The South Korean military has bolstered its defense activities to counter the North’s possible crossing the northern limit line.
It plans to install an attack helicopter near the West Sea after a military base is established near the islands on June 15.
The military is also pushing its plan to integrate the command system of South Korea's armed forces to better respond to North Korean provocations.
The plan calls for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to have more power to control the Army, Navy and Air Force, and ministry officials want bills on the command reform to be approved by lawmakers this month.
Kim made the remarks amid escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula after the North disclosed secret contacts with three South Korean officials in May.
The three South Koreans who met their North Korean counterparts are from the presidential office, the Unification Ministry and the National Intelligence Service.
The North claimed that the South Korean officials proposed holding three inter-Korean summits; two this year and one in 2012. It said they begged, and even offered cash as their conversations didn’t go well. It said North Korean officials refused to take the money.
After the disclosure, the North threatened to make public an audio file, which it said had a recording of the whole conversations during the secret contact, in an effort to embarrass the South Korean government.
Following the disclosure, the North sharpened its hostile rhetoric against the South. It said there will be no talks with the South and the North will retaliate.