Seoul - North Korea on Thursday fired four short-range
missiles over the Sea of Japan, according to South Korean reports.
The fourth missile was launched at 9:20 pm (1220 GMT), the Yonhap
News Agency reported, citing the Defence Ministry in Seoul.
Like the previous three launches, which began at 5:20 pm, the
fourth took place from North Korea's south-east coast near the city
of Wonsan, it said.
The missiles were believed to be ground-to-ship missiles.
Earlier, the ministry had confirmed the firing of the first two
missiles over the sea, also known as the East Sea.
Both missiles with ranges of 120 to 160 kilometres fell into the
ocean about 100 kilometres from the coast, the South Korean public
broadcaster KBS reported.
The missile tests were thought to be part of routine manoeuvres by
the North Korean military but, because of tensions on the Korean
Peninsula, a new demonstration of North Korea's military strength was
not being ruled out, KBS quoted a Defence Ministry official in Seoul
as saying.
The launches came as a nuclear test, earlier missile firings and
threats from Pyongyang as well as tightened UN sanctions against
North Korea have ratcheted up tensions with the country.
Meanwhile, talks between North and South Korea on the future of
their final remaining large joint economic project began and ended
Thursday without any tangible results.
North Korea continued to demand large increases in the rent paid
for the joint industrial park in the North Korean border city of
Kaesong as well as in the wages paid to North Korean workers employed
by South Korean firms there, the Unification Ministry in Seoul said.
South Korea had been demanding that its neighbour release a South
Korean worker detained there for allegedly criticizing the
totalitarian regime in Pyongyang.
Neither side at the talks was able to narrow their differences,
the ministry said. The negotiations ended hours before the missile
launches.
North Korea had last fired a series of short-range missiles in the
week after its May 25 nuclear test, and earlier Thursday, a South
Korean newspaper reported that North Korea appeared to be preparing
to carry out within days a new barrage of missile tests, including
short-range ballistic and ground-to-ship rockets.
The ballistic missiles were believed to be Scud-B missiles with a
range of 340 kilometres or Rodong rockets, whose 1,300-kilometre
range was likely to be shortened to 400 kilometres for the upcoming
tests, the JoongAng Ilbo said, citing an unnamed intelligence source.
It appeared that North Korea would conduct the tests from two
launch sites on its east coast, the source said after North Korea had
warned ships to stay clear of the area.
Besides the short-range missiles it launched in May, North Korea
in April launched what it said was a satellite, but its neighbours
and the United States said it was a test for a long-range missile
that potentially could hit the western US.
The international community condemned the test and launches, and
in response, the UN Security Council approved a resolution last month
that bars North Korea from developing and testing missiles and other
weapons of mass destruction.
In return, North Korea said it would step up its defences.
South Korea said North Korea last month barred ships from off
parts of its east coast because of a military exercise. The ban is in
effect until July 10. Japan said it was also informed of it.
Observers said they saw the ban as potential preparations for new
missile tests.
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