This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/06/south-korea-north-airliner-artillery

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
South Korea says North endangered airliner with artillery launch South Korea says North endangered airliner with artillery launch
(6 months later)
South Korean officials have criticised a North Korean artillery launch they said happened minutes before a Chinese commercial plane carrying 202 people flew in the same area.It wasn’t immediately clear what danger, if any, the launch on Tuesday posed to the China Southern Airlines plane traveling from Tokyo in Jepan to Shenyang in China. But the defence ministry in Seoul called it a “serious threat” that Pyongyang failed to notify international aviation authorities of its launch plans in the area.A ministry spokesman, Kim Min-seok, said the plane had been traveling at an altitude of six miles, while the projectile’s peak altitude was 12 miles, and the flight passed through the area about five minutes after the projectile hit the water.An unidentified North Korean army spokesman said in a statement on Wednesday night that rocket drills conducted from 21 February until Tuesday were part of regular training. He said that neither regional security nor international navigation had been in danger because the North took “scrupulous advance security measures for flight orbit and targets in the designated waters”.Asked about the incident, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman called for all sides to continue improving relations and to refrain from provocations.Seoul officials say the suspected artillery launch on Tuesday and others that included Scud missiles in previous days were protests against ongoing US-South Korean military drills that Pyongyang considers invasion preparation. Washington and Seoul say the drills, which prompted threats of nuclear war from the North a year ago, are defensive in nature and meant to deter North Korean aggression.It was not immediately clear what kind of artillery the North launched. But South Korean officials believe the recent series of launches were in part an effort to test 300mm multiple rocket launchers, according to the South’s Chosun Ilbo. If fired from near the demilitarised zone separating the rival Koreas, the newspaper reported, such rockets could reach the headquarters of the South Korean army, navy and air force.Despite the recent firings and launches, outside analysts say the North is taking a softer stance toward the US-South Korean military drills this year than in 2013 because it wants better ties with the outside world to revive its struggling economy.Also on Thursday Seoul said North Korea rejected Seoul’s proposal to hold talks on reunions of families divided by the 1950-53 Korean War. Reunions were held last month and South Korea wants to make them a regular event but analysts say Pyongyang worries that could take away a key piece of political leverage with the South. South Korean officials have criticised a North Korean artillery launch they said happened minutes before a Chinese commercial plane carrying 202 people flew in the same area.It wasn’t immediately clear what danger, if any, the launch on Tuesday posed to the China Southern Airlines plane traveling from Tokyo in Jepan to Shenyang in China. But the defence ministry in Seoul called it a “serious threat” that Pyongyang failed to notify international aviation authorities of its launch plans in the area.A ministry spokesman, Kim Min-seok, said the plane had been traveling at an altitude of six miles, while the projectile’s peak altitude was 12 miles, and the flight passed through the area about five minutes after the projectile hit the water.An unidentified North Korean army spokesman said in a statement on Wednesday night that rocket drills conducted from 21 February until Tuesday were part of regular training. He said that neither regional security nor international navigation had been in danger because the North took “scrupulous advance security measures for flight orbit and targets in the designated waters”.Asked about the incident, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman called for all sides to continue improving relations and to refrain from provocations.Seoul officials say the suspected artillery launch on Tuesday and others that included Scud missiles in previous days were protests against ongoing US-South Korean military drills that Pyongyang considers invasion preparation. Washington and Seoul say the drills, which prompted threats of nuclear war from the North a year ago, are defensive in nature and meant to deter North Korean aggression.It was not immediately clear what kind of artillery the North launched. But South Korean officials believe the recent series of launches were in part an effort to test 300mm multiple rocket launchers, according to the South’s Chosun Ilbo. If fired from near the demilitarised zone separating the rival Koreas, the newspaper reported, such rockets could reach the headquarters of the South Korean army, navy and air force.Despite the recent firings and launches, outside analysts say the North is taking a softer stance toward the US-South Korean military drills this year than in 2013 because it wants better ties with the outside world to revive its struggling economy.Also on Thursday Seoul said North Korea rejected Seoul’s proposal to hold talks on reunions of families divided by the 1950-53 Korean War. Reunions were held last month and South Korea wants to make them a regular event but analysts say Pyongyang worries that could take away a key piece of political leverage with the South.