Ambassador to China Kim Jang-soo says North Korea is capable of firing a long range missile at any time.
 
During a parliamentary audit on the South Korean Embassy in Beijing held in China on Friday, the ambassador said his words were not based on any concrete intelligence, but that North Korea has frequently said, including in recent days, that it can launch a rocket any time.

Kim also said that construction to expand facilities at the Dongchang-ri launch site is in the final stages. He added, however, that Seoul, Beijing and Washington have yet to detect clear signs of a forthcoming provocation from the North. 

Kim also forecast that he believes China will join new UN sanctions on North Korea if Pyongyang goes ahead with a missile launch, noting that Beijing took part in UN sanctions in the past on several occasions. 

Regarding China-North Korea relations, the ambassador said that China is burdened by worsening ties and appears to hope for improved relations but North Korea remains completely unresponsive.
 
He added that the Beijing government views the Kim Jong-un regime as having relatively stabilized.