North Korea’s Scuds a security threat: South
This week’s launch a first since 2009
SEOUL — The short-range Scud missiles North Korea fired into the sea Thursday were a type it hasn’t launched since 2009, South Korea confirmed Friday.
Four projectiles with a range of more than 200 kilometres landed off the North’s eastern coast, and South Korean Defence Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok told reporters that an analysis of their speed and trajectory showed they were Scud missiles.
Defence officials also confirmed reports that North Korea fired four other shortrange KN-02 missiles with a range of about 100 kilometres one week ago.
Kim said South Korean officials didn’t disclose last Fri- day’s launches because North Korea frequently test-launches such short-range missiles. But Kim said Scud-series missiles, which are capable of hitting all of South Korea, are a security threat.
He said there are no signs that North Korea is preparing for additional missile launches.
Analysts said the launches were largely aimed at protesting the South Korea-U.S. military drills that began Monday and won’t be a pre- lude to a spike in tension. Pyongyang calls the annual military exercises a rehearsal for invasion, though Washington and Seoul say they are defensive in nature.
“The launches were a test designed to improve its missile capability and also an armed protest against the drills,” said analyst Cheong Seong-jang of the Sejong Institute in South Korea. “But we already know (they have Scud missiles). … The launches didn’t have special meaning.”