U.S. Assisant Deputy Secretary for arms control and disarmament said Sunday that North Korea may forgo its pledge to freeze missile launches if Japan activates economic sanctions against Pyongyang.

Political parties and the public opinion in Tokyo have recently took a sharp turn toward slapping sanctions on North Korea regarding Pyonyang's insincerity and deceitful tactics in dealing with the Japanese abductee issue.

In an interview with Japan's Yomiuri newspaper, the U.S. official said Pyongyang is capable of conducting missile experiments of its No.2 Daepodong long-range ballistic missile, at any time.

He said that North Korea will probably abandon its missile freeze commitment if Tokyo attempts to pressure the communist state.

He also added that although the multinational Proliferation Security Initiative or PSI efforts have been somewhat effective in curbing the export of North Korean missiles, the country is still interested as ever in selling its missiles to other states.

North Korea had suspended its missile launches since 1998.