N. Korea launches landtoship missiles
SEOUL: North Korea fired what appeared to be several landtoship missiles off its east coast yesterday, South Korea’s military said.
The launches come less than a week after the United Nations Security Council passed fresh sanctions on the reclusive state, which said it would continue to pursue its nuclear and missile programme without delay.
It also comes a day after South Korea said it would hold off on installing remaining components of a controversial US antimissile defence system that has angered North Korea’s main ally, China.
The missiles were launched yesterday morning from the North Korean coastal city of Wonsan and flew about 200km, South Korea’s Office of Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
Under thirdgeneration leader Kim Jong Un, North Korea has been conducting missile tests at an unprecedented pace in an effort to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of hitting mainland United States.
Compared with the ballistic missiles Pyongyang has recently tested, those launched yesterday are considered to be more defensive in nature, designed to defend against threats such as enemy warships.
North Korea unveiled several new weapons at a military parade on April 15 to mark the birth anniversary of the state’s founding leader and has since tested some of them.
‘‘Looking at North Korea’s pat tern of missile launches, it has been revealing what it brought to the recent military parade,’’ said Kim Dongyub, a military expert at Kyungnam University’s Far Eastern Studies in Seoul.
‘‘What appeared to be a new type of landtoship missile equipped with four launching canisters was unveiled at the parade. I think this might be what was used today.’’
Yesterday’s launch is the fourth missile test by North Korea since South Korean President Moon Jaein took office on May 10 pledging to engage in dialogue with Pyongyang.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying called for all parties to exercise restraint. Seoul and Washington were analysing the launches for further information, South Korean officials said. — Reuters