SEOUL: NorthKorea yesterday fired what appeared to be two short-range ballistic missilesinto the sea after vowing to remain the biggest "threat" to theUnited States and branding Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as "toxin."It was the latest in a series of short-range missile tests the nuclear-armednation has carried out in recent weeks in protest against US-South Koreanmilitary exercises, which it sees as a rehearsal for invasion.
The latest jointdrill wrapped up on Tuesday. "The military detected two unidentifiedprojectiles presumed to be short-range ballistic missiles," South Korea'sJoint Chiefs of Staff in a statement Saturday after the latest launch. Themissiles flew about 380 kilometers and reached an altitude of 97 kilometers ata top speed of Mach 6.5 before landing in the East Sea, also known as Sea ofJapan, it said.
"Ourmilitary is tracking the movement in the North in case of additional launches,with firm readiness," it added. South Korea's presidential Blue House convened a National SecurityCouncil meeting and expressed "grave concerns" in a statement,pointing out Pyongyang had carried out the launch after the joint US-SouthKorea military drills had ended.
"NSC membersagreed to continue diplomatic efforts with the international community to bringthe North back to negotiation table with the US to achieve the goal of completedenuclearization in the Korean peninsula." Tokyo also believed North Korea had fired "ballistic missiles"in violation of UN resolutions, Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya toldreporters. "It can't be overlooked no matter what the size and distanceare," he said. Washington was monitoring the situation following reportsof a missile launch, a senior US official said. "We are consulting closelywith our Japanese and South Korean allies."
'Biggest threat'
South Korea'smilitary said it would share intelligence on the launches with Japan despiteSeoul saying earlier this week that it was terminating such exchanges amid agrowing diplomatic and trade spat with its neighbor, which had raised concernit could weaken tracking of Pyongyang's actions by the US allies.
Nuclear talksbetween Pyongyang and Washington have been gridlocked since a second summit inHanoi in February collapsed without an agreement over the extent ofdenuclearisation in the North and a sanctions relief. US President Donald Trumpand North Korean leader Kim Jong Un agreed to kick start working-level talks duringan impromptu meeting at the Demilitarized Zone on June 30 but no contacts havebeen held since with the North repeatedly expressing anger at the war games.
Earlier thisweek, Stephen Biegun, the US special envoy for North Korea, said during a visitto Seoul that Washington was "prepared to engage" as soon as it hearsfrom Pyongyang. But on Friday, the North vowed to "remain as the biggest'threat' to the US" if Washington persisted with sanctions, in a statementby Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho. Ri also launched a scathing attack on Pompeo,calling him a "diehard toxin" after the top US diplomat saidWashington would continue to keep the "toughest" sanctions on theNorth until the reclusive state denuclearizes.- AFP