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WORLD NEWS Friday 26 July 2019

North Korea fires new type of short-range ballistic missiles

By HYUNG-JIN KIM woman Hua Chunying. It
Associated Press was the first missile launch
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) since Seoul said North Ko-
— North Korea fired a new rea fired three short-range
type of short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast
missile in two launches into in early May. At the time,
the sea Thursday, South many experts said those
Korean officials said. They missiles strongly resembled
were North Korea's first the Russian-designed Iskan-
weapons launches in more der, a short-range, nucle-
than two months and ap- ar-capable ballistic missile
peared to be a pressuring that has been in the Rus-
tactic as Pyongyang and sian arsenal for more than
Washington struggle to re- a decade.
start nuclear negotiations. Analyst Kim Dong-yub at
The South's Joint Chiefs of Seoul's Institute for Far East-
Staff said the missiles were ern Studies said the latest
fired from near the eastern missiles could be Scud-C
coastal town of Wonsan ballistic missiles or KN-23
and flew about 430 kilome- surface-to-surface missiles,
ters (270 miles) and 690 ki- People watch a TV showing a file image of North Korea's missile launch during a news program at a North Korean version of
lometers (430 miles) respec- the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, July 25, 2019. the Iskander.
tively before landing off the Associated Press During a third summit at
country's east coast. launchers and flew at a ar program, analysts say. the Trump administration the Korean border late last
The Joint Chiefs of Staff maximum altitude of 50 ki- The relatively short distance was aware of the report- month, President Donald
described both missiles lometers (30 miles). travelled by the missiles ed launches. The official, Trump and North Korean
as short-range but didn't The North is unhappy over suggests the launches were who spoke on condition leader Kim Jong Un agreed
elaborate. But after a na- planned U.S.-South Korean not intended as a major of anonymity to provide a to resume nuclear negotia-
tional security council military drills that it says are provocation, unlike a test response, said the adminis- tions that had been dead-
meeting later Thursday, preparation for an inva- of a long-range missile ca- tration had no further com- locked since their second
South Korea's presidential sion. The missile tests may pable of reaching the U.S. ment. summit in Vietnam in Feb-
Blue House said the weap- be meant as a warning to mainland. South Korean Defense Min- ruary. It ended in disagree-
ons North Korea launched Washington. North Korea has been urg- istry spokeswoman Choi ment over U.S.-led sanc-
were assessed as "a new They came as many in the ing the U.S. and South Hyunsoo urged Pyongyang tions.
kind of short-range ballistic United States were focused Korea to scrap their sum- to stop acts that are "not On Tuesday, North Ko-
missiles." on testimony before Con- mertime military drills. Last helpful to efforts to ease rean state media said Kim
North Korea is banned by gress by Robert Mueller, week, the North said it military tensions on the Ko- inspected a newly built
U.N. Security Council reso- the former special counsel, may lift its 20-month sus- rean Peninsula." submarine and ordered
lutions from engaging in about his two-year probe pension of nuclear and "If they were ballistic mis- officials to further bolster
any launch using ballistic into Russian election inter- long-range missile tests in siles, they violate the U.N. the country's military capa-
technology. So North Ko- ference. A day earlier, U.S. response to the drills. Seoul resolutions, and I find it bilities. The Korean Central
rea could face interna- national security adviser said Wednesday North Ko- extremely regrettable," News Agency said the sub-
tional condemnation over John Bolton left Seoul after rea was refusing to accept Japan's Defense Minister marine's operational de-
the latest launches. But it's agreeing with South Kore- its offer to send 50,000 tons Takeshi Iwaya told report- ployment "is near at hand."
still unlikely for the North, an officials to work closely of rice through an interna- ers in Tokyo. After analyzing North Ko-
already under 11 rounds to achieve North Korea's tional agency to protest China, the North's last ma- rea-dispatched photos
of U.N. sanctions, to be hit denuclearization. the drills. jor ally and biggest aid pro- of the submarine, experts
with fresh punitive mea- "North Korea appears to be Some experts say North Ko- vider, said both Washing- said it likely has three or
sures because the U.N. thinking its diplomacy with rea is trying to get an up- ton and Pyongyang should more launch tubes for mis-
council has typically im- the U.S. isn't proceeding in per hand ahead of a pos- restart their nuclear diplo- siles. South Korean gov-
posed new sanctions only a way that they want. So sible resumption of talks. macy as soon as possible. ernment documents say
when the North conducted they've fired missiles to get Pyongyang wants wide- "All parties concerned North Korea has about 70
long-range ballistic launch- the table to turn in their fa- spread sanctions relief so it should cherish the hard- submarines. Most have
es, not short-range ballistic vor," said analyst Kim Dae- can revive its dilapidated won opportunity for dia- only torpedo, not missile
launches. young at the Korea Re- economy. U.S. officials de- logue and the easing of launch tubes, except for a
A South Korean defense of- search Institute for National mand North Korea first take tensions, express goodwill, test platform with a single
ficial, requesting anonym- Strategy. significant steps toward dis- meet each other halfway launch tube the North has
ity because of department But North Korea doesn't ap- armament before they will and jointly make positive used when it fired ballistic
rules, said that an initial pear to be pulling away relinquish the leverage pro- efforts to promote denu- missiles in recent years, ac-
analysis showed both mis- from U.S.-led diplomacy vided by the sanctions. clearization," said Chinese cording to Kim Dae-young,
siles were fired from mobile aimed at curbing its nucle- A senior U.S. official said Foreign Ministry spokes- the analyst.q