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North Korea fired two short-range missiles off its eastern coast on Monday morning,...
the second such launch in under a week. South Korea's defense ministry condemned the
launch, saying it is keeping a close watch for additional provocations.
Hwang Sung-hee reports. South Korea's defense ministry remains on high alert after North
Korea fired what are believed to have been two Scud-C short-range missiles into the East
Sea early Monday morning. The ministry said the missiles flew about
500 kilometers, which means they could hit targets in South Korea and Japan.
The launch comes just days after the North fired four short-range missiles from the same
location. Such launches of short-range missiles by Pyongyang
are a common part of its regular military drills, but Seoul sees the latest string of
launches as an intentional provocation in protest against annual joint military exercises
between South Korea and the U.S.
"North Korea's short-range ballistic missile launch appears to be a typical two-sided tactic.
The North seems to be intentionally ratcheting up tensions by firing the missiles during
the Key Resolve exercises."
South Korea views North Korea's recent missile launches as a violation of UN Security Council
resolutions, as a handful of UN sanctions ban the regime from using ballistic missile
technology. Experts say launches of this sort are considered
a low-degree provocation compared to last year's saber rattling from Pyongyang, which
included threats of nuclear war against Seoul and Washington.
Since they come amid thawing inter-Korean ties, experts say it could be a North Korean
attempt to build its ground before entering another round of negotiations with the South.
Hwang Sung-hee, Arirang News.