克里抵达首尔,期间人们担心朝鲜导弹试射

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived Friday in Seoul, amid concern North Korea will soon conduct another provocative missile test.

Kerry will hold talks with South Korean officials, including President Park Geun-hye during his visit. He will also meet with U.S. military commanders based in the country.

His visit comes as speculation increased that North Korea is preparing to test a mid-range missile to demonstrate its ability to hit U.S. targets in the region.

A U.S. official in Seoul said there is no sign of an imminent launch of the North's Musudan missile, which is believed to have a range of 3,500 kilometers and could threaten U.S. bases in Japan or Guam.

Some believe Pyongyang will coordinate the headline-grabbing missile test with Kerry's arrival. Seoul has said it expects the test to occur in the run-up to Monday's birthday celebration of North Korean founding leader Kim Il Sung.

Meanwhile, U.S. officials are downplaying a U.S. intelligence report disclosed Thursday that suggested Pyongyang has succeeded miniaturizing a nuclear weapon.

The analysis, disclosed by a congressman Thursday during a routine budget hearing, said Washington defense officials are moderately confident the North has nuclear weapons capable of delivery by ballistic missiles.