North Korea was accused last night of provocation after test-firing a missile into the Sea of Japan.

In an apparent attempt to upstage the inauguration of Roh Moo-hyun to the South Korean presidency, the ground-to-ship rocket was launched 90 kilometres towards Japan before dropping harmlessly into the sea.

The Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, who was in Seoul for yesterday's ceremony and for talks with the US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, said: "To have done it on the day of the inauguration of the new president is an exercise in drawing attention to themselves, and trying to create a sense of crisis when none is necessary.

"I regard it as entirely unnecessary and provocative."

The missile was fired on Monday but news of the action broke only hours before the new president took his oath of office in front of 45,000 people on the steps of the National Assembly.<BR clear=all>

The inauguration was attended by international dignitaries including the Japanese Prime Minister, Junichiro Koizumi, and Chinese Vice-Premier Qian Qichen.

North Korea justified the test on the basis of "security", but the firing of the Styx anti-ship missile was seen as another attempt to increase the tension over its nuclear arms program.

Yesterday North Korea claimed a US spy plane had intruded into its airspace on Monday and on three consecutive previous days to spy on the country ahead of a possible attack.

The country's official KCNA news agency said: "The US imperialist warhawks illegally intruded a RC-135 strategic reconnaissance plane into [North Korean territory] to spy on it."

Japan reacted cautiously to the situation yesterday, noting that the short-range limit of the weapon did not violate North Korea's freeze on missile tests. In 1998 North Korea fired a missile, without warning, over Japan which landed in the Pacific Ocean.

However, Mr Roh said the suspicion that North Korea was developing nuclear weapons was a "grave threat" to world peace, particularly the Korean Peninsula and North-East Asia.

"North Korea's nuclear development can never be condoned," he said. "Pyongyang must abandon nuclear development. If it renounces its nuclear development program, the international community will offer many things that it wants."

But he stressed the crisis must be resolved peacefully through dialogue. "Military tension in any form should not be heightened."

Mr Roh, who was elected in a fever of anti-US sentiment last December, said Koreans were deeply grateful for the alliance with the US: "We will foster and develop this cherished alliance."

However, he also signalled changes as part of his push for a more independent South Korea.

"We will see to it that the alliance matures into a more reciprocal and equitable relationship," he said.

"We will also expand relations with other countries, including traditional friends."

In talks after the inauguration, Mr Downer and Mr Powell discussed the North Korean crisis, with any differences between Canberra and Washington apparently evaporating. Before leaving for Seoul, Mr Downer had called for bilateral talks between the US and North Korea. The US has been pushing for a multilateral approach.

Mr Downer said after the talks that the positions of Australia and the US were "pretty similar".

He said Australia had supported a multilateral approach, but believed there was a point where the US had to have direct discussions with North Korea.

He said it was crucial that other countries, especially China, played a part in persuading North Korea to "de-nuclearise".

with Agencies

This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/02/25/1046064033249.html