North Korea fires short-range missiles off east coast
Source: LA Times
Amid recent fear of a test of North Korea's medium-range Musudan missile, the government launches three short-range missiles in what is believed to be a military exercise.
By Barbara Demick, Los Angeles Times
May 18, 2013, 3:49 p.m.
BEIJING — North Korea fired three short-range missiles off its east coast Saturday, following through on months of threats to conduct a missile launch.
The South Korean Defense Ministry reported that it detected two launches in the morning and another in the afternoon. Its initial assessment was that the missiles were short-range surface-to-ship or surface-to-surface missiles capable of traveling up to 72 miles, rather than the new medium-range Musudan missile that analysts fear could threaten U.S. troops in Guam or Okinawa, Japan.
"All missiles launched fell into the sea," a South Korean Defense Ministry official was quoted as telling the country's official Yonhap news service. He also speculated that the launches, directed over water northeast of North Korea, were part of a military exercise.
Short-range missile tests by North Korea are quite common, the last one having taken place about two months ago. Firing off the missiles Saturday might have been a face-saving move by the government in Pyongyang, under intense international scrutiny over its next move, an analyst said.
Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-north-korea-missiles-20130519,0,4308181.story
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