N Korean missiles can hit key targets: S Korea
The ballistic missiles that North Korea test-fired this weekend are capable of striking key government and military facilities in South Korea, a defence official said on sunday, amid growing concerns over Pyongyang’s firepower.
North Korea launched seven missiles into waters off its east coast on Saturday in a show of force that defied UN resolutions and drew international condemnation and concern.
The missiles appear to have traveled about 400 km, meaning they could have reached almost any point in South Korea, an official at the South Korean Defence Ministry said. The official said the exact details of the launches were still under investigation.
North and South Korea, which fought a 1950-53 war, still face off across the world’s most heavily fortified border. The US, South Korea’s key ally, has 28,500 troops stationed in the country as a deterrent. South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, citing a South Korean government source, reported five of the seven ballistic missiles landed in one area, indicating their accuracy has improved. Yonhap said two of the seven missiles launched are believed to be variants of Rodong missiles while the rest are believed to be upgraded versions of Scud-C missiles.
Meanwhile, China on Sunday underlined the need for restrain following North Korea’s multi-missile-test-fires, seen as an act of defiance against the US and fuelling tensions in the peninsula.
“China hopes that relevant parties of Korean nuclear issue stay calm and restraint,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said. Qin said: “The Chinese side has noticed such a matter and hopes that related parties should stay calm and restraint and work together to maintain regional peace and stability.”
