N. Korea Urged to Cancel Missile Test

SEOUL — Efforts were underway today to get North Korea to back down from what appeared to be an imminent test-firing of a missile capable of reaching U.S. territories in the Pacific.

Japanese Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe warned that Japan would do everything in its power short of an “appeal to arms.”

“Japan and the U.S. will cooperate in dealing with this and, if North Korea launches a missile, we will respond severely,” Abe, the second most powerful figure in government, said at a briefing today in Tokyo.

On Sunday, U.S. officials called for resumed talks on North Korea’s arms programs.

“We expect them to come back to the table. We do not want to have a missile test out of North Korea,” White House spokesman Tony Snow said on “Fox News Sunday.”

The warnings came amid reports that North Korea had fueled the missiles, indicating launch might be imminent. Once fueling is completed, the launch should take place within 48 hours or the fuel should be siphoned to avoid damage to the missile.

But South Korean sources said that North Korea might be dragging out the fueling process in hopes of making a deal.

“I would be surprised if talks weren’t going on,” a South Korean official said today on condition of anonymity.

The launch had been expected to take place Sunday.

“The North Koreans might turn cautious and back down, but they will expect some kind of compensation,” said Hong Yong-pyo, a North Korea expert with South Korea’s Hanyang University.