N. Korea Fires Missiles Toward East Sea

North Korea fired missiles toward the East Sea on Friday. It was the first time that North Korea fired missiles since July 5, 2006, when it launched seven Taepodong 2 missiles towards the East Sea from a military base in Hamkyong Province.

The military authorities announced that North Korea launched several surface-to-ship missiles with a range of some 100 kilometers toward the East Sea Friday morning. However, the exact kinds of the missiles, numbers, the site of firing, and targets have not been confirmed.

A source in the military said, “It is not a test firing. They are assumed to be short-range missiles.”

Experts said Friday’s missile launch was as part of a routine drill and also a warning against South Korea’s recent military buildup.

The North’s People’s Army has been conducting military exercises ahead of its annual summer drill starting in August.

On June 20-21, 2005, three missiles with a range of 95 kilometers, which were thought to be a modified version of surface-to-ship Silkworm missiles, were launched from a coastal area in Hamkyong Province.

The North also fired a SS-21 missile that had a range of 120 kilometers into the East Sea from a coastal base north of Hamheung City on May 1 the same year.

Based on the North’s previous missile launches, military officials assume that they are part of its annual military exercises. On the other hand, some think the firings are in response to South Korea’s launch of its first Aegis destroyer named King Sejong.

Government officials, however, played down the test-firing, saying that the missile launch would not affect the six-party talks or inter-Korean relations. Despite the launches, the government is reportedly pushing ahead with ministerial talks between the two Koreas scheduled for May 29.

Meanwhile, on a resolution unanimously adopted on July 15, 2006, the UN Security Council criticized North Korea for missile launches and urged it to keep its promise to suspend them.

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