Washington - The United States Saturday called North Korea's
'possible' missile launches 'not helpful' but stopped short of
confirming them or calling them a violation of UN sanctions.
'We're waiting until we have all the facts about the violation,'
State Department press officer Karl Duckworth told dpa.
Both South Korea and Japan have condemned the firings as
violations of UN sanctions, the most recent of which was passed last
month in reaction to Pyongyang's test explosion of a nuclear bomb.
The Pentagon, which in the past has been the US agency which
confirms North Korea's illicit missile launches, said it was not in a
position to confirm North Korea's firing of seven missiles early
Saturday.
Duckworth said the US was 'aware of a possible missile launch by
North Korea' and was closely monitoring Pyongyang's activities and
intentions.
'This type of North Korean behaviour is not helpful. What North
Korea needs to do is fulfill international obligations and
commitments,' Duckworth said, reading from a statement.
The South Korean defence ministry said North Korea fired seven
missiles within a ten-hour span. The launches, from the country's
eastern coast, came on top of four test firings Thursday that had
already left the region on edge.
The latest missiles, with a range of 400 to 500 kilometres, were
fired over the Sea of Japan, the ministry said.
There was some suspicion that North Korea was taking advantage of
the US July 4 Independence Day holiday to show off its strength, as
it has in the past.
South Korea's Foreign Ministry called the missile firings a
'provocative act that clearly violates UN Security Council
resolutions 1695, 1718, and 1874 that bar North Korea's every
activity related to ballistic missiles.'
Japan also condemned the rocket launches. Chief Cabinet Secretary
Takeo Kawamura said North Korea's action was 'a serious act of
provocation against the security of neighbouring countries, including
Japan, and is against the resolution of the UN Security Council.'
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