Responding to rising concerns over the possibility of a North Korean missile test in coming days, Pyongyang's Deputy Foreign Minister, Choi Soo-heon, on Friday characterized related reports by the foreign media as mere "speculations and rumors."

A Japanese official cited Tokyo's Foreign Minister, Yoriko Kawaguchi, as saying Choi had casually made such remarks on the sidelines of the 59th session of the U.N. General Assembly underway in New York.