South Korea Military Confirms North's Short-Range Missile Test

May 25, 07:42 AM

Current Headlines: Text of report in English by South Korean news agency Yonhap

[Yonhap headline: "N. Korea Fires Short-Range Missiles Towards East Sea: S. Korean Officials"]

SEOUL, May 25 (Yonhap) - North Korea fired several short-range missiles towards the East Sea on Friday, the South Korean military confirmed, adding that it is keeping close tabs on possible future developments.

"We believe the alleged firings were part of the North's annual routine drills, made on the eastern and western coasts in the past," the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. But it didn't specify how many or what kind of missiles North Korea fired.

Japan's Kyodo News and other media reported earlier that North Korea fired several short-range missiles towards the East Sea on Friday morning, citing unnamed sources close to Japan-US relations.

The missiles - thought to be a modified version of the surface- to-ship Silkworm, or a ballistic missile smaller than the short- range Scud ballistic missile - were launched from a coastal area in North Korea's South Hamgyong Province, the sources were quoted as saying.

The information is believed to be based on images sent by a US military reconnaissance satellite, Kyodo said.

The firings are believed to have taken place in North Korea's South Hamgyeong Province.

Kyodo also quoted a Japanese government source saying they "would not pose a threat to Japan-US security."

The Associated Press reported that the missiles were surface-to- ship, adding that Japanese officials were not able to immediately confirm the reports.

Japan's public broadcaster, NHK, reported that the missiles were shorter-range, and were not North Korea's existing Rodong or Taepodong I ballistic missiles. Japan's NTV network reported that the missiles were surface-to-ship types.

A South Korean official, requesting to be unnamed, assessed the missile launches "as part of a routine drill."

The missile launches came before South Korea open the latest round of ministerial talks on Tuesday.

An official from the Unification Ministry, on condition of anonymity, played down the missile firing as unrelated to the upcoming inter-Korean ministerial talks. "They (the missiles) are believed to be short-ranged, another official said, adding that the launches "won't affect the ministerial talks."

In July last year, North Korea test-launched seven missiles that landed in the East Sea, the body of water between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, despite repeated international warnings not to do so. The missile tests prompted the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution slapping weapons-related sanctions on the North.

The North has said the missile tests are part of its military exercises, saying it has the right to test weapons at its own discretion.

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