By Phil Stewart
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -
The move to shift the missiles follows a reduction in rhetoric from
One
"It is premature to celebrate it as good news," said another
However, a third U.S. official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said the United States did not believe the missiles had gone to an alternate launch site and that they were now believed to be in a non-operational location.
The Musudan missiles have a range of 3,000 to 3,500 kilometers (1,900 to 2,200 miles). They have not been tested before.
In
"We have said we'd be able to speak publicly when the North has completely withdrawn (the missiles)," said ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok.
In another sign North Korea is shifting its focus away from confrontation, its official media on Tuesday carried reports of leader Kim Jong-un giving "field guidance" on construction work done by the military. Similar reports were issued on Monday.
The North's official media normally suspends reporting on such activities by its leaders during periods of tension with the international community.
North Korea will likely feature during a meeting between U.S. President Barack Obama and South Korean President Park Geun-hye at the White House on Tuesday, where they will have a working lunch followed by a joint news conference.
The North has also remained in the spotlight after it sentenced a Korean American who visited the country last November to 15 years hard labour for what it said were crimes against the state.
Human rights activists in
"PROVOCATION PAUSE"
Pentagon spokesman George Little declined to comment on the status of the North Korean missiles.
"I wouldn't again comment on intelligence. But what we have seen recently is a 'provocation pause.' And we think that's obviously beneficial to efforts to ensure we have peace and stability on the Korean peninsula," Little told reporters.
The heightened tensions, including North Korean threats to attack
In a rare show of force during the drills, two nuclear-capable, bat-winged B-2 stealth bombers flew 37 1/2 hours from their
Asked what may have contributed to
He also noted that the Chinese government had made some helpful statements.
"We do think they (
The White House's Russel told reporters it was too early to determine whether
"It's premature to make a judgment about whether the North Koreans' provocation cycle is going up, down or zigzagging," he said. "The decision to launch or not launch missiles, to conduct a provocation or to stand down or defer it, is a decision that rests with the North Koreans." (Additional reporting by Steve Holland in