S. Korea says North fires projectiles into sea

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA» North Korea on Tuesday continued to ramp up its weapons demonstrations by firing unidentified projectiles twice into the sea while lashing out at the United States and South Korea for continuing their joint military exercises that the North says could derail fragile nuclear diplomacy.

South Korea’s military alerted reporters to the launches minutes before the North’s Foreign Ministry denounced Washington and Seoul over the start of their joint exercises on Monday. The ministry’s statement said the drills, which North Korea sees as an invasion rehearsal, leave the country “compelled to develop, test and deploy the powerful physical means essential for national defense.”

The statement from an unidentified spokesperson said Pyongyang remains committed to dialogue, but it could seek a “new road” if the allies don’t change their positions.

“It is too axiomatic that a constructive dialogue cannot be expected at a time when a simulated war practice targeted at the dialogue partner is being conducted,” said the statement released by Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency. “We remain unchanged in our stand to resolve the issues through dialogue. But the dynamics of dialogue will be more invisible as long as the hostile military moves continue.”

Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the projectiles were launched from an area near the North’s western coast and flew crosscountry before landing in waters off the country’s eastern coast.

It didn’t immediately say how many projectiles were fired or how far they flew.

South Korea’s government had no immediate statement on the North’s launches, which were its fourth round of weapons tests in fewer than two weeks. The office of South Korean President Moon Jae-in said his chief national security adviser, Chung Eui-yong, will hold an emergency meeting with the country’s defense minister and spy chief on Tuesday.

North Korea had said it will wait to see if the exercises actually take place to decide on the fate of its diplomacy with the U.S.