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S Korea braces for more missile tests

Correspondent Mark Willacy for AM and wires

Story Added : 03rd July 2009

South Korea's military is preparing for more North Korean missile launches in the coming days after the hardline communist state fired four missiles overnight.

The missiles were launched from a base on North Korea's east coast and landed 100 kilometres away, in the Sea of Japan.

It is also the first test by the communist state since the UN imposed fresh sanctions on the North last month.

The missiles were launched from a base near the eastern port of Wonsan, a South Korean defence ministry spokesman said.

The first two were fired at 5:20pm and 6:00pm (local time), he added.

"They appear to be ground-to-ship missiles, which were launched into the East Sea (Sea of Japan)," the spokesman told the AFP news agency.

"We have no detailed information now but there have been preparations for missile launches in the region."

The North is vowing to push ahead with both its nuclear and missile programs and South Korea is warning ships to stay away from areas off its east coast for the next week.

It is also believed that Pyongyang is preparing to fire a long-range missile which could theoretically reach Alaska.

According to Japan's Coast Guard, Pyongyang issued navigation bans for 10 areas in the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea, citing "military gunfire and bombardment training".

'Provocative' act

The UN Security Council has condemned North Korea for pursuing both its nuclear and long-range missile programs.

The White House said North Korea's missile launches were the latest in a string of "provocative" acts.

"The North Koreans said they were going to launch these missiles. I don't think that's surprising that they've launched these missiles," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.

"I take the North Koreans at their word that they're going to continue their provocative actions," he added.

But Mr Gibbs said North Korea was beginning to feel the effect of UN Security Council sanctions imposed after North Korea staged a nuclear weapons test - its second - on May 25.

The sanctions call for beefed-up inspections of air, sea and land shipments going to and from North Korea, and an expanded arms embargo.

Mr Gibbs also suggested North Korea was beginning to respond to the pressure, but did not elaborate.

"I think the impact alone of a united international community is tremendously important. Obviously, there have been positive developments over the past few days as it relates to the actions of the North Koreans," he said.

When asked if he was suggesting that North Korea showed no signs it was preparing to launch another long-range missile, Mr Gibbs replied: "I don't want to get into intelligence matters."

The United States has said it is not ruling out the possibility of a long-range missile launch toward Hawaii on or around July 4, the US Independence Day, although the Pentagon has expressed doubts about such a scenario.

After it was condemned at the United Nations for launching a long-range missile on April 5, North Korea walked away from six-nation talks aimed at scrapping its weapons-grade nuclear programs.

The talks involved the United States, South Korea, Japan, China and Russia.

- ABC/AFP

Story Added by ABC.
Date Added : 03rd July 2009

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