The South Korean military says it is closely monitoring North Korean missile launch sites with the U.S. 

The Joint Chiefs of Staff(JCS) said in a news briefing on Tuesday that the allied forces of South Korea and the U.S. are thoroughly checking on possible North Korean ballistic missile launches.

Military satellites and other surveillance assets are said to have been mobilized to focus on the Panghyon airfield in North Pyongan Province and Sukchon County in South Pyongan Province.

A JCS official said the military cannot confirm an earlier assessment by “38 North,” which said that North Korea appears to be preparing for a test-launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile(ICBM) near the Kalma International Airport on the east coast.

In an article posted on Monday on the North Korea monitoring Web site, Joseph Bermudez made the claim based on his analysis of recent satellite imagery of the Kalma Ballistic Missile Test Site.

He said Pyongyang has made a number of improvements at the Kalma test site over the past three months. 

The North is believed to have successfully tested a Musudan missile at the Kalma test site last June.

In his New Year's address, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said the regime was in the final stage of preparations to launch an ICBM. South Korean and U.S. military officials recently said the North have made two new ICBMs that are ready to be test-launched.

[Photo : ]