South Korea Calls UN Meeting After North Korea Missile Tests

North Korea conducted a series of military technology tests from Monday to Wednesday, including a tactical ballistic missile warhead with cluster munitions, graphite bombs, a mobile short-range anti-aircraft system and an electromagnetic weapon, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

According to General Kim Jong-sik, these are “special trumps of the army”. The test of the Hwasongpo-11 Ka missile was intended to demonstrate the ability to destroy a target over an area of seven hectares.

At the same time, Pyongyang fired several short-range ballistic missiles towards its east coast. One flew about 700 km, another about 240 km. The missiles landed in the sea without entering Japanese waters.

South Korea described the tests as a violation of UN Security Council resolutions and called for an emergency meeting of the Security Council. Seoul urged that the launches be halted, while Japan issued a similar response.

North Korea rejects the UN restrictions as interference in its right to self-defence. Analysts say the tests are linked to the development of solid-fuel missiles. At the same time, Pyongyang has stressed that it continues to regard South Korea as a hostile state.

(reuters, bak)