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North Korea fires anti-ship missiles, says South Korea | North Korea fires anti-ship missiles, says South Korea |
(about 1 hour later) | |
North Korea has fired several anti-ship cruise missiles off its east coast, South Korea's military says. | North Korea has fired several anti-ship cruise missiles off its east coast, South Korea's military says. |
Authorities said the weapons, launched on Thursday morning near the city of Wonsan, appeared to be short-range "surface-to-ship" missiles. | |
They flew about 200km (125 miles) before landing in the water. | They flew about 200km (125 miles) before landing in the water. |
Repeated ballistic missile tests by the North this year - not all successful but all a breach of UN sanctions - have sparked international alarm. | |
Experts fear the tests indicate progress towards Pyongyang's ultimate goal of putting a nuclear warhead on a missile. | |
The latest firing, however, does not violate the UN Security Council's resolutions against the North, as those resolutions only ban ballistic missile launches, reported South Korean news agency Yonhap. | |
South Korean military spokesman Roh Jae-cheon said the latest launch showed the North "likely wanted to show off its ability to precisely target a large warship" after recent military drills involving US aircraft carriers and South Korean troops. | |
"By testing different types of missiles, North Korea also appears to be aiming to secure the upper hand in relations with South Korea and the United States," he told reporters. | |
Anti-ship cruise missiles are guided missiles which generally skim the water. In 2012, North Korea displayed several such weapons known as Styx. | |
But North Korea has also previously unsuccessfully tested anti-ship ballistic missiles, experts believe. | |
On 29 May, it fired a Scud-type ballistic missile from the same location, which flew about 450km. | |
Last Friday the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a new resolution to impose targeted sanctions on certain North Korean officials and state entities. | |
The US has also ramped up its military presence in the region, conducting drills with Japan as well as South Korea, and is installing a controversial missile defence system in South Korea, known as Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system (Thaad). | |
But South Korea said on Wednesday it was suspending the further deployment of the system until an environmental assessment is completed. |