Missile test will be unhelpful: Clinton

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton suggested yesterday the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) would have to make the first move to improve its relationship with the United States by ending its nuclear programs.

Speaking a day after Pyongyang said it had the right to launch a long-range missile, Clinton said such a test would be "very unhelpful" and that Washington was watching very closely to see if the DPRK ends its "provocative" actions.

The Republic of Korea's (ROK) media reports say Pyongyang has been preparing to test its longest-range Taepodong-2 missile, which is designed to reach as far as Alaska but has never flown successfully. Officials in the ROK have also been anticipating a short-range missile test near a disputed sea border where navies from the two countries have clashed in the past.