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Tense time:N. Korea launches4 missiles
Source: Agencies |
July 3, 2009, Friday
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NORTH Korea test-fired four short-range missiles yesterday, South Korea's Defense Ministry said, a move that aggravates already high tensions following Pyongyang's recent nuclear test and United Nations sanctions imposed as punishment.
Two ground-to-ship missiles were fired from the eastern coastal city of Wonsan yesterday afternoon, a ministry official said on condition of anonymity citing department policy.
The North also fired a third missile later from the east coast, but the exact site and the type of a rocket was not immediately known, the official said.
Another ministry official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said the North later fired a fourth missile, though she provided no details.
Yonhap news agency, citing an unnamed military official, reported all four missiles flew about 100 kilometers and identified them as KN-01s with a range of up to 160km.
North Korea had earlier called for a no-sail zone in waters off its east coast through July 10 for military drills. That designation was viewed as a prelude to such missile tests.
The launches came as North Korea's relations with the United States, South Korea and other countries were already severely strained after its May 25 underground nuclear test and a series of missile firings.
"We had expected that they would fire short-range missiles at any time," South Korea's Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan told reporters.
Separately, China's top nuclear envoy, Wu Dawei, left yesterday for Russia as part of diplomatic efforts to push North Korea back to the stalled nuclear disarmament talks, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
"The purpose of Wu Dawei's visit is to exchange views with relevant parties on the nuclear issues on the Korean peninsula," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in a regular press briefing.
Also yesterday, North and South Korea ended their latest talks over a troubled joint industrial project, apparently without progress, and failed to set a date for the next round of talks, the Unification Ministry said.
Ministry spokesman Chun Hae-sung said the two sides met for a little over one hour in the morning in the North Korean border city of Kaesong. He offered no details.
Two ground-to-ship missiles were fired from the eastern coastal city of Wonsan yesterday afternoon, a ministry official said on condition of anonymity citing department policy.
The North also fired a third missile later from the east coast, but the exact site and the type of a rocket was not immediately known, the official said.
Another ministry official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said the North later fired a fourth missile, though she provided no details.
Yonhap news agency, citing an unnamed military official, reported all four missiles flew about 100 kilometers and identified them as KN-01s with a range of up to 160km.
North Korea had earlier called for a no-sail zone in waters off its east coast through July 10 for military drills. That designation was viewed as a prelude to such missile tests.
The launches came as North Korea's relations with the United States, South Korea and other countries were already severely strained after its May 25 underground nuclear test and a series of missile firings.
"We had expected that they would fire short-range missiles at any time," South Korea's Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan told reporters.
Separately, China's top nuclear envoy, Wu Dawei, left yesterday for Russia as part of diplomatic efforts to push North Korea back to the stalled nuclear disarmament talks, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
"The purpose of Wu Dawei's visit is to exchange views with relevant parties on the nuclear issues on the Korean peninsula," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in a regular press briefing.
Also yesterday, North and South Korea ended their latest talks over a troubled joint industrial project, apparently without progress, and failed to set a date for the next round of talks, the Unification Ministry said.
Ministry spokesman Chun Hae-sung said the two sides met for a little over one hour in the morning in the North Korean border city of Kaesong. He offered no details.
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