June 7: North Korea has once again defied its opponents and carried out fresh missile tests. According to reports from the country, also known as Democratic People's Republic of Korea DPRK, Pyongyang has test fired several short-range missiles off its Western Coast in an apparent test on Thursday. N Korea is amid a serious deadlock in international negotiations over its nuclear weapons program. All this happened despite serious efforts and economic sanctions by Washington to halt its nuclear and missile programs.
South Korea’s Defence Ministry has reportedly confirmed the news and said it has evidence that Pyongyang launched the short-range missiles into the sea off its western coast. United States has denounced the launch, saying the activity was ‘not constructive.’
Media outlets within South Korea, a US ally in south-east Asia, quoted confirmed sources within State’s intelligence agencies, "We are trying to confirm how many were fired and what type of missiles they are.”
South Korea's Yonhap news agency cited two unidentified intelligence officials as saying the North fired at least one missile. One of the officials said Pyongyang fired two — one in the morning and one in the afternoon — which is believed to be part of the communist regime's ‘routine drills’, according to Yonhap.
South Korea is yet to confirm the details as country is the only outlet for the news about Pyongyang. The US ally and arch enemy of communist Pyongyang, South Korea has always played the role US wants it to play.
Even during nuclear test, South Korea had disseminated contradictory reports. Even now, country is yet to confirm if missiles were either land-to-ship or ship-to-ship models with a range of less than 62 miles, reportedly fell into North Korea's territorial waters.
The news came two weeks after North Korea test-fired at least one short-range missile into eastern coastal waters, which South Korean and US officials played down as part of the communist country's regular military exercises.
US National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe has criticized Thursday’s test by saying, “The United States and our allies believe that North Korea should refrain from testing missiles." He accompanies President Bush to the Group of Eight summit in Heiligendamm, Germany.
"North Korea should focus on the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and fulfill its obligations under the Feb. 13 agreement" in which North Korea pledged to shut down its main nuclear reactor in return for financial and diplomatic incentives.
"This kind of activity is not constructive," Johndroe said.
Recently, DPRK has refused to move on its pledge to shut down its main nuclear reactor over a delay in withdrawing $25 million of its money at a Macau bank that was blacklisted by the U.S. for allegedly helping the Pyongyang launder and counterfeit money.
Pyongyang has made the release of the funds a key condition to disarmament, boycotted international negotiations for more than a year over the issue, during which it conducted its first nuclear test in October.
In July 2006, North Korea also test-fired a barrage of missiles, including a long-range one believed to be capable of reaching even parts of the U.S.
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