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North Korea 'test-fires missiles' | North Korea 'test-fires missiles' |
(10 minutes later) | |
North Korea may have test-fired several short-range missiles off its west coast, South Korea's Yonhap news agency has quoted a source as saying. | |
The unnamed official said Seoul was checking reports that the missiles were fired into the Yellow Sea. | |
Pyongyang test-fired at least one short-range missile at the end of May - off its east coast - as part of what appeared to be military exercises. | Pyongyang test-fired at least one short-range missile at the end of May - off its east coast - as part of what appeared to be military exercises. |
North Korea's military programme is a major source of international concern. | North Korea's military programme is a major source of international concern. |
"We are checking an intelligence report that North Korea fired several short-range missiles into the Yellow Sea today," the unidentified official was quoted by Yonhap as saying. | |
Missed deadline | |
If confirmed, it would be the North's second missile test in two weeks. | |
South Korea confirmed at least one missile was test-fired into the Sea of Japan on 25 May, although earlier reports suggested several had been fired. | |
Both the US and the North's neighbours played down that test, which coincided with the launch of South Korea's first destroyer equipped with US-supplied high-tech Aegis radar. | |
The US State Department described it as a "routine exercise" that would not affect six-party talks regarding the North's nuclear programme. | |
In April, the North missed a deadline to shut down its Yongbyon nuclear reactor in return for economic and energy aid. | |
Pyongyang has refused to move forward on the deal until it has access to North Korean funds in a Macau bank, which had been frozen amid claims the money was linked to counterfeiting and money-laundering. |