The Riverside Press-Enterprise
North Korea fires short-range missiles after making threats
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA >> In its second weapons test in three days, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters early today, rekindling regional animosities over U.s.-south Korean military drills that it views as an invasion rehearsal.
The weapons firings follow an intercontinental ballistic missile launch Saturday and North Korea’s threats to take an unprecedented strong response to the drills. A new testing spree also allows North Korea to expand its arsenals amid stalled talks with its rivals and eventually use the boosted military capability as leverage to try to wrest bigger concessions from the United States.
South Korea detected the two missile launches from a western coastal town, just north of Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, on Monday morning, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
It said South Korea has boosted its surveillance posture and maintains a readiness in close coordination with the United
States.
Japan’s Defense Ministry said both missiles landed in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. It said Japan condemned the launches as a threat to the peace and safety of Japan and the world.
The Japanese Defense Ministry said the first missile reached the maximum altitude of 62 miles and flew as far as 250 miles. It said the second missile reached about 30 miles in altitude and flew a distance of 217 miles.
North Korea’s state media said its long-range artillery units on its western coast fired two rounds cross-country toward the eastern waters on Monday morning, possibly referring to the same activity its neighbors said were missile launches. The official Korean Central News Agency said the North Korean artillery rounds simulated strikes on targets up to 245 miles away.
The North said the launches involved its new 600 millimeter multiple rocket launcher system that could be armed with “tactical” nuclear weapons intended for battlefield use. Some experts viewed the weapons system as a shortrange ballistic missile.