Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon said Friday the suspicious ground activities detected in North Korea by intelligence sources may well be preparations to realign its missile base rather than to test-fire missiles. But he was quick to add that it is no more than a speculation.

Ban gave such an analysis in an interview with Reuters news agency, confirming signs of ongoing missile activity in the communist state.

Indications of brisk movements of missile units in North Korea were first raised earlier this week following Pyongyang's verbal threat that it will not abandon its nuclear deterrent capability and will boycott the six-way talks aimed to resolve the long-standing nuclear standoff.

However, Seoul, Washington and Tokyo are not reading too much into the possibility of Pyongyang's actual missile launch.

Minister Ban noted if the North pushes forward with the alleged plan, the consequences will be detrimental.