[속보] 합참 "北, 동해상 단거리 미사일 수발 발사…70~200㎞ 비행" VIDEO; North Korea 'test fires short-range missiles'
North Korea 'test fires short-range missiles'
3 minutes ago
Kim Jong-un held talks with the US president in February
North Korea has tested several short-range missiles, according to reports from South Korea.
CNBC.com
[속보] 합참 "北, 동해상 단거리 미사일 수발 발사…70~200㎞ 비행" 북한이 4일 오전 동해상으로 단거리 미사일을 수발 발사했다. 합동참모본부는 "북한이 4일 오전 9시 6분쯤부터 9시27분쯤까지 강원도 원산 호도반 도 일대에서 북동쪽 방향으로 기종 미상의 단거리 미사일을 발사했다"고 전했다. 미사일 종류와 궤적은 아직 정확하게 밝혀지지 않았다. 다만 발사체가 장거리 사격이 가능한 장사정포일 가능성도 있는 것으로 전해졌다. 합참은 "이번에 발사된 미사일은 동해상까지 약 70km에서 200km까지 비행한 것으로 파악됐다"면서 "한미 당국은 미사일 기종과 발사 배경 등 추가 정보에 대해 분석 중에 있다"고 덧붙였다. 또 "우리 군은 북한의 추가 발사에 대비해 감시 및 경계를 강화한 가운데, 한미 간 긴밀하게 공하며 만반의 대비태세를 유지하고 있다"고 밝혔다.
북한이 미사일을 발사한 것은 지난 2017년 11월 29일 이후 대륙간탄도미사일(ICBM)급 '화성-15형' 발사 이후 1년 5개월여 만이다. 북한은 지난 2월말 베트남 하노이에서 열린 2차 북미정상회담 결렬 이후 대북 압박 유지를 강조하는 미국의 기조에 '굴복하지 않겠다'는 입장을 드러낸 것으로 풀이된다. 이민정 기자 lee.minjung2@joongang.co.kr 중앙일보 |
edited by jcontents
They were fired from the Hodo peninsula in the east of the country, said South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.
If confirmed, it will be the first missile launch since Pyongyang tested an intercontinental ballistic missile in November 2017.
Last month Pyongyang said it had tested what it described as a new "tactical guided weapon".
That was the first test since the Vietnam summit between the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, and US President Donald Trump, which ended without agreement.
President Trump walked away from what he described as a bad deal offered by Kim Jong-un in Hanoi in February.
Firing a short range missile would not violate North Korea's promise not to test long range or nuclear missiles.
But Pyongyang appears to be growing impatient with Washington's insistence that full economic sanctions remain until Mr Kim takes serious steps to dismantle his nuclear weapons programme, says the BBC's Laura Bicker.
"We are aware of North Korea's actions tonight," said White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders. "We will continue to monitor as necessary."
Nuclear test pledge
North Korea "fired a number of short-range missiles from its Hodo peninsula near the east coast town of Wonsan to the north-eastern direction from 09:06 (00:06 GMT) to 09:27," the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
Kim Jong-un held talks with the US president in February/REUTERS
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-48158880
edited by kcontents
The missiles flew for between 70km and 200km (45-125 miles) before landing in the Sea of Japan, they added.
Hodo has been used in the past for launching cruise missiles and long-range artillery testing.
According to the North Korea news agency (KCNA), April's test of a new "tactical guided weapon" was overseen by Mr Kim himself. It said the test was "conducted in various modes of firing at different targets", which analysts believe means the weapon could be launched from land, sea or air.
It is unclear if that weapon was a missile, but most observers agree that it was probably a short-range weapon.
North Korea's missile and nuclear programme
Last year, Mr Kim said he would stop nuclear testing and would no longer launch intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Nuclear activity appears to be continuing, however, and satellite images of North Korea's main nuclear site last month showed movement, suggesting the country could be reprocessing radioactive material into bomb fuel.
The country claims it has developed a nuclear bomb small enough to fit on a long-range missile, as well as ballistic missiles that could potentially reach the mainland US.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-48158880
kcontents
