SEOUL: South Korea’s military claimed on Monday that Pyongyang fired twoshort-range ballistic missiles, the launch comes weeks after North Koreathreatened to demonstrate a “new strategic weapon” and its deadline forWashington to offer sanctions relief expired.
The launch was the nuclear-armed North’s first for more than three monthsand came as nuclear negotiations with the United States remain at astandstill.
The two devices were fired eastwards over the sea from the Wonsan area onthe east coast and flew 240 kilometres at a maximum altitude of 35kilometres, the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
They were “believed to be short-range ballistic missiles,” a JCS officialsaid.
South Korea’s security ministers expressed “strong concern” the North was”carrying out actions giving rise to military tensions”, the presidentialBlue House said.
Japan’s defence ministry said there was no indication of anything comingdown in its waters or exclusive economic zone, but added: “Recent repeatedlaunches of ballistic and other missiles by North Korea are a seriousissue.”
The launch came as Pyongyang battles to prevent a coronavirus outbreak anddays after the one-year anniversary of the collapsed Hanoi summit betweenleader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump.
Read Top Stories
Negotiations have since been deadlocked over sanctions relief and what theNorth would be willing to give up in return, despite a high-profile Junemeeting in the Demilitarized Zone that divides the peninsula.
Pyongyang carried out a series of weapons tests late last year, the last ofthem in November, often describing them as multiple launch rocket systems.It also carried out static engine tests, most recently in December.
At a party meeting at the end of that month, Kim declared that Pyongyang nolonger considered itself bound by its moratoriums on nuclear andintercontinental ballistic missile tests, and threatened to demonstrate a”new strategic weapon” soon.
North Korea has a long history of seeking to demonstrate its militarycapability to try to obtain concessions.
“March is pretty reliably missile-testing season for North Korea,” tweetedAnkit Panda, senior fellow at the Federation of American Scientists. – APP/ AFP
