North Korea test-fires three missiles

North Korea test-fires three missiles
By Song Jung-a in Seoul
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009
Published: July 2 2009 12:12 | Last updated: July 2 2009 17:03
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/951ef4e0-66f8-11de-925f-00144feabdc0.html


North Korea test-fired three short-range missiles on Thursday, ratcheting up tensions in the region, already high after its atomic test and UN sanctions against it.

The communist state launched two surface-to-ship missiles off the east coast that travelled about 100km and fell into the sea, Seoul’s defence ministry said. It added that it was still looking into a third missile launch last night.

The missile firings were expected after North Korea called for a no-sail zone in waters off its east coast, until July 10, for military drills. It came amid deteriorating relations with the US and South Korea after an underground nuclear test in May and a series of missile launches.

The UN has adopted a new sanctions regime against North Korea, further freezing its financial dealings with the outside world, curbing its arms trade.

North Korea has threatened to test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile. Local media said North Korea was likely to fire more short or medium-range missiles from its east coast early this month, in protest at UN sanctions.

The Joongang Ilbo, a daily newspaper, said, citing intelligence sources, that the North may fire Scuds with a range of about 340km or Rodong missiles with a range of up to 1,000km.

The missile launches came after a North Korean ship – suspected of carrying illicit weapons – changed course and was heading back home after being monitored by the US for more than a week. It was not clear why it reversed course but came as Washington tightened its crackdown on firms related to Pyongyang’s proliferation of missiles.

The provocative moves by Pyongyang are expected to intensify diplomatic efforts by the US, China and South Korea. Philip Goldberg, who is in charge of sanctions against Pyongyang, was in Beijing for talks on formulating a North Korea strategy.

Wu Dawei, China’s top nuclear envoy, left for Moscow to push North Korea back to the nuclear disarmament talks. He will also visit the US, Japan and South Korea. Yu Myung-hwan, Seoul’s foreign minister, said he was seeking a meeting of the foreign ministers of the six countries that took part in the North’s disarmament talks, on the sidelines of a regional security forum in Thailand on July 23.

The missile launches are expected to further strain inter-Korean relations. North and South Korea held further discussions on the troubled Kaesong joint industrial complex but failed to narrow differences.

The talks ended without setting a date for the next round. North Korea is demanding a sharp increase in salaries and leasing fees in the trade zone where South Koreans run factories using North Korean labour.