[UPDATES] Pyongyang's new missile launch sparks security alert

By Park Sae-jin Posted : June 22, 2016, 07:56 Updated : June 22, 2016, 18:09

[A picture captured from Fox News]

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North Korea triggered an international security alarm Wednesday by launching two suspected medium-range ballistic missiles that flew up to 248 miles off its east coast, military authorities said.

The latest launches followed Pyongyang's four consecutive failures this year to test-fire Musudan missiles from new mobile launchers at the same site near the eastern port city of Wonsan.

There was no word yet on whether Wednesday's exercise was watched by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un who has actively sought to upgrade technology related to ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons despite strong international sanctions.

At 5:58 am (2058 GMT) on Wednesday, the first Musudan missile was fired but it was presumed to have exploded in the air after flying some 150 kilometers (93 miles), the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, adding the second one was fired two hours later and flew about 400 kilometers.

The South's defense ministry refused to describe the second launch as successful but its initial assessment is that some technical progress appeared to have been made because the projectile soared to an altitude of about 1,000 kilometers before making a horizontal flight. 

"The United States and South Korea are conducting a close joint study" to determine whether the second launch was successful, said a JCS statement.

North Korea has continued to test Musudan missiles banned by UN resolutions. The first one on April 15 exploded in midair, followed by two more on April 28 that also crashed into a coastal area or exploded in midair. So far this year, North Korea has test-fired six Musudan missiles including those fired on Wednesday. The last launch was reported on May 31.

"This is a clear violation of UN resolutions that ban any activities involving ballistic missile technology," defense ministry spokesman Cho June-hyuck told reporters, warning of tougher sanctions from the international community.

South Korean military authorities believe some 50 Musudan missiles might have been deployed since 2007, but concern has been growing this year because North Korea has tested new mobile launchers. Seoul has accused Pyongyang of trying to develop technology related to mobile launch systems for ballistic missiles propelled by solid fuel.

The Musudan with an estimated range of more than 3,000 kilometers could reach as far as Guam. It was first revealed to the international community in a military parade in 2010. There has been no indication that the missile system was operational.

In April 2013, US intelligence detected North Korean troops setting up Musudan erector platforms at various locations on multiple occasions, but no launches took place.

North Korea has pushed for the development of an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying a miniaturized nuclear warhead. Mobile long-range systems are of particular concern if North Korea succeeds in miniaturizing an atomic bomb.

Aju News Lim Chang-won = cwlim34@ajunews.com
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