Kerry: Launching N. Korean Missile Would be 'Huge Mistake'

yongyang has recently made repeated threats of waging a nuclear war on the U.S. mainland and other American targets in the region. It has also warned it is in the final stages of conducting another missile test that would demonstrate its capability to do so.

Kerry condemned the threats, saying the North Korean people are "desperate for food, and not missile launches" and "want opportunities, not a leader who flexes his muscles."

Talks encouraged

He said the U.S. would not hesitate to defend itself and its allies, and repeated Washington's call for Pyongyang to engage in talks aimed at dismantling its nuclear program.

Kerry is holding talks with South Korean officials, including President Park Geun-hye, during his visit to Seoul. He will also meet with U.S. military officials on the ground in South Korea.

Earlier, a U.S. official in Seoul said there is no sign of an imminent launch of the North's Musudan missile, which is believed to have a range of 3,500 kilometers and could threaten U.S. bases in Japan or Guam.

Some believe Pyongyang will coordinate the headline-grabbing missile test with Kerry's arrival. Seoul has said it expects the test to occur in the run-up to Monday's birthday celebration of North Korea's late founding leader Kim Il Sung.

Intelligence report downplayed

Meanwhile, U.S. officials continue to downplay a U.S. intelligence report disclosed Thursday that suggested Pyongyang has succeeded miniaturizing a nuclear weapon.

The analysis, disclosed by a congressman Thursday during a routine budget hearing, said Washington defense officials are moderately confident the North has nuclear weapons capable of delivery by ballistic missiles.

U.S. Defense Department spokesperson George Little said it would not be accurate to suggest the North has fully tested, developed, or demonstrated the nuclear capability mentioned in the assessment.

The U.S. director of national intelligence, James Clapper, said "North Korea has not yet demonstrated the full range of capabilities necessary for a nuclear armed missile."

Speaking alongside Kerry on Friday, South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se also expressed skepticism about the claim, saying there is still doubt whether the North has produced a small enough warhead to fit on an operational intercontinental ballistic missile.

Washington and South Korea do not officially recognize North Korea as a nuclear weapons state.

The isolated state has carried out three nuclear tests. The latest, in February, used what Pyongyang said was a "smaller and lighter" device. In December, it also succeeded in using a long-range missile to place a satellite into orbit.

Obama prefers diplomacy

U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday said it is time for North Korea to end its "belligerent approach." The president said he prefers a diplomatic approach, but warned Washington will take "all necessary steps" to protect itself and its allies.

"Now is the time for North Korea to end the belligerent approach they have been taking and to try to lower temperatures," the president said.  "Nobody wants to see a conflict on the Korean peninsula.  But it's important for North Korea, like every other country in the world, to observe the basic rules and norms that are set forth, including the wide variety of U.N. resolutions that have been passed.  We will continue to try to work to resolve some of those issues diplomatically, even as I indicated to the secretary-general the United States will take all necessary steps to protect its people and to meet our obligations under our alliances in the region."

South Korea has said dialogue could help reduce tensions on the Korean peninsula. Seoul's Unification Ministry on Thursday recommended talks with the North on the issue of a joint industrial complex that North Korea has threatened to close.

The Unification Ministry on Friday said Seoul has made progress toward achieving the dialogue. A spokesperson confirmed permission is under review for a private delegation to visit North Korea on the fate of the Kaesong industrial zone.

North Korea this week pulled its over 50,000 workers from the complex. It has also blocked South Korean access to the center, which lies just North of the demilitarized zone.

Kaesong serves as an important source of revenue for the impoverished North. Any decision to shut it down would signify that Pyongyang is willing to sacrifice economically for its latest dispute with the South.