North Korea: Missile, nuclear programs pose no threats

North Korea said Thursday its missile and nuclear programs pose no threat, ahead of a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to South Korea for talks expected to focus on the communist country.

North Korea's military accused South Korea of misusing what it called "nonexistent nuclear and missile threats" as a pretext to invade, and renewed a warning that its troops are in an "all-out confrontational posture" against Seoul.

The statement from the North Korean military's general staff came as the regime is believed to be gearing up to test-fire a long-range missile and Clinton is scheduled to arrive in Seoul later Thursday for meetings expected to tackle the missile issue.

It also underscored high tensions between the two Koreas since Seoul's pro-American, conservative President Lee Myung-bak took office a year ago and sought hard-line policies toward Pyongyang.

North Korea is believed to be on track in preparations to launch its longest-range missile, the Taepodong-2 - believed to have a range that could reach Alaska - moving the rocket and other equipment to a launch site on the country's northeast coast.

South Korea's defense minister reportedly said Wednesday that the North could complete preparations to fire a missile within the next two weeks at the earliest.

Seoul's Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan warned that a missile launch will "inevitably" entail sanctions because it would be a violation of a 2006 U.N. Security Council resolution banning Pyongyang from pursuing missile or nuclear programs.

Clinton also warned Tuesday a missile launch "would be very unhelpful in moving our relationship forward."

Amid growing international pressure to drop the plan, Pyongyang said earlier this week that it has the right to "space development" - a term it has used in the past to disguise a missile test as a satellite launch.

When North Korea conducted a ballistic missile test in 1998, it claimed it put a satellite into orbit. The regime carried out its first-ever nuclear test blast in 2006, and claims it has atomic bombs.

Also Thursday, the official Korean Central News Agency accused the U.S. and South Korea of preparing to attack the North, warning the two countries of "a high price" for their moves.

The claim followed an announcement South Korea and the U.S. plan to conduct an annual military exercise next month.

North Korea has dubbed such drills a rehearsal for invasion, despite repeated assurances from the U.S. and South Korea that the exercises are purely defensive.