Pyongyang fires missiles after threatening action against THAAD

By Park Sae-jin Posted : July 19, 2016, 08:54 Updated : July 19, 2016, 11:19
 

A file picture on the launch of a North Korean missile.[Yonhap News Photo]


North Korea fired three ballistic missiles Tuesday in an apparent show of force after it threatened "merciless" physical action against the controversial deployment of a US missile shield in South Korea, military authorities said.

The missiles were fired from a base south of Pyongyang for about one hour from 05:45 am (2045 GMT), the South's joint chiefs of staff said, adding two missiles fell into the Sea of Japan (East Sea) after flying up to 600 kilometers (372 miles) while the trajectory of a third one has not yet been confirmed.

The US Strategic Command said North Korea had launched two short-range Scud missiles and one intermediate-range Rodong missile. 

Pyongyang threatened to take unspecified physical action after US and South Korean troops announced an agreement on July 8 to push ahead with the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system aimed at intercepting North Korean ballistic missiles.

The North also warned it was ready to launch a merciless retaliatory strike and turn South Korean and US military facilities into "a sea of fire and ashes".

Seoul and Washington said the missile shield is defensive in nature and would only target North Korea, but Russia and China argued it may expedite an arms race and undermine the region's strategic balance.

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