U.S., Japan Expand Missile-Defense Plan

North Koreans dance during the family reunion meeting with their South Korean relatives at Diamond Mountain in North Korea, Friday, June 23, 2006. Hundreds of South Korean reunion members crossed the heavily armed border Thursday to meet relatives in North Korea they haven't seen since the 1950-53 Korean War, during reunions that will also bring together a South Korean man allegedly kidnapped by the communist nation and his Southern family. (AP Photo/ Korea Pool, Jeon Yeon-ho) (Jeon Yeon-ho - AP)

"It seems clear that even if North Korea fires a missile, the United States would not make a compromise," Lee told a parliamentary committee in Seoul.

U.S. officials say a Taepodong-2 missile _ believed capable of reaching the United States _ is possibly being fueled at the North's launch site on its northeastern coast.

Intelligence reports say fuel tanks have been seen around the missile, but officials say it's difficult to determine from satellite photos if a rocket is being fueled.

Lee said a "series of activities by North Korea" were consistent with a missile launch. "North Korea should immediately halt moves of its missile launch," he said.

U.S. officials have warned North Korea will face unspecified penalties if it goes ahead with the launch. China and Russia _ the North's last major allies, have also expressed alarm.

"We still hope that they recognize that launching that missile would only isolate them further, and that they will make the right decision and not launch the missile," U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Alexander Vershbow told The Associated Press on Friday.

The Bush administration said it was committed to seeking a diplomatic solution to the problem.

Vice President Dick Cheney told CNN on Thursday that North Korea's missile capabilities "are fairly rudimentary" and expressed skepticism the missile could reach U.S. territory. He rebuffed suggestions that Washington launch a pre-emptive strike.

U.S. National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, briefing reporters during a visit by President Bush to Hungary, expressed reservations that the United States could intercept and destroy such a missile, saying the U.S. missile defense system was still in a developmental stage.

"We think diplomacy is the right answer and that is what we are pursuing," Hadley said. "The way out of this is for North Korea to decide not to test this missile."

U.S. forces, meanwhile wrapped up their largest military exercise in the Pacific since the Vietnam War, showing North Korea and others its ability to quickly assemble massive combat power.

The five days of war games brought together three aircraft carriers along with 22,000 troops and 280 warplanes off the island of Guam in the western Pacific.

The exercise "was a demonstration of the U.S. Pacific Command's ability to quickly amass a force in a joint combat environment and project peace, power and presence in the region," Air Force Lt. Gen. David Deptula told The Associated Press.

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Associated Press Writers Burt Herman, Jae-soon Chang and Kwang-tae Kim in Seoul, Eric Talmadge in Andersen Air Force Base, Guam and Chisaki Watanabe in Tokyo contributed to this report.