Seoul (South Korea), Oct. 29 (LaPresse) – North Korea fired a barrage of ballistic missiles towards the sea on Thursday, according to South Korea’s military, just days after the North threatened to resume propaganda broadcasts through loudspeakers along the front line and deploy new weapons along the border, a scene of heightened tensions between the two rival countries. The launches also came after leader Kim Jong Un made a surprise visit to China, North Korea’s main ally and economic partner, to call for greater cooperation. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said they had detected around 10 short-range ballistic missiles launched from the coastal city of Wonsan, on North Korea’s east coast. It added that the South Korean military had stepped up surveillance measures and was exchanging real-time information on the launches with the United States and Japan. Hostilities between the two Koreas have intensified following landmine explosions last month that injured three South Korean soldiers. Seoul accused North Korea of planting mines south of the Military Demarcation Line, causing the explosions on September 21, but Pyongyang denied any responsibility for the incidents and threatened retaliation in the event of provocations. Last week, North Korea said it would resume propaganda broadcasts and deploy new weapons systems along the border in protest against what it described as repeated warning shots fired by South Korean troops in border areas. South Korea subsequently proposed talks to clarify the border in order to prevent accidental clashes, but North Korea has not responded.
North Korea: fires barrage of 10 ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan
Seoul (South Korea), Oct. 29 (LaPresse) – North Korea fired a barrage of ballistic missiles towards the sea on Thursday, according to South Korea’s military, just days after the North threatened to resume propaganda broadcasts through loudspeakers along the front line and deploy new weapons along the border, a scene of heightened tensions between the two rival countries. The launches also came after leader Kim Jong Un made a surprise visit to China, North Korea’s main ally and economic partner, to call for greater cooperation. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said they had detected around 10 short-range ballistic missiles launched from the coastal city of Wonsan, on North Korea’s east coast. It added that the South Korean military had stepped up surveillance measures and was exchanging real-time information on the launches with the United States and Japan. Hostilities between the two Koreas have intensified following landmine explosions last month that injured three South Korean soldiers. Seoul accused North Korea of planting mines south of the Military Demarcation Line, causing the explosions on September 21, but Pyongyang denied any responsibility for the incidents and threatened retaliation in the event of provocations. Last week, North Korea said it would resume propaganda broadcasts and deploy new weapons systems along the border in protest against what it described as repeated warning shots fired by South Korean troops in border areas. South Korea subsequently proposed talks to clarify the border in order to prevent accidental clashes, but North Korea has not responded.