N. Korea fires suspected Short-Range Missiles

May 10, 2019

Seoul--North Korea fired two projectiles, presumably short-range missiles, to the east from around the northwestern city of Kusong in North Pyongan Province on Thursday afternoon, the South Korean military said.

The two projectiles, launched between 4:30 p.m. (7:30 a.m. GMT) and 4:50 p.m., flew about 420 kilometers and 270 kilometers, respectively, according to the South Korean military's Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The fresh incident came at a time when Japanese, U.S. and South Korean defense officials held talks in Seoul, and followed North Korea's launch of several projectiles from near Wonsan on its eastern coast into the Sea of Japan on Saturday, under the supervision of leader Kim Jong Un.

Following the latest firing, the Japanese Defense Ministry issued a statement that no ballistic missile came to Japan's territory or exclusive economic zone.

"We have no situation that would immediately affect the security of our country," Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya said in Tokyo.

In a television interview, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said North Korea's launch of missiles, even if they are short-range ones, could be a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions if they are ballistic missiles.

Pyongyang is believed to be eager to draw concessions from Washington, which maintains the stance of keeping sanctions against North Korea. However, its suspected firing of ballistic missiles in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions could significantly worsen the mood between the two countries, observers said.

On Wednesday, the North Korean foreign ministry released a statement insisting that the firing of short-range projectiles on Saturday was "nothing more than part of the regular military training" and rejecting criticism from other countries as "unpleasant and regrettable." Jiji Press