SKorea says NKorean missiles can hit key targets

Sunday, July 5, 2009 at 7:24 AM Posted by Beijing News


SEOUL, South Korea – The ballistic missiles that North Korea test-fired this weekend were likely capable of striking key government and military facilities in South Korea, a defense official said Sunday, amid growing concerns over Pyongyang's firepower.

North Korean state media did not mention the launches but boasted that the country's military could impose "merciless punishment" on those who provoke it.

Pyongyang launched seven missiles into waters off its east coast Saturday in a show of force that defied U.N. resolutions and drew international condemnation.

The missiles appear to have traveled about 250 miles 400 kilometers, meaning they could have reached almost any point in South Korea, an official at the South Korean Defense Ministry said on condition of anonymity, citing department policy.

The official said the exact details of the launches were still under investigation.

The launches on U.S. Independence Day appeared to be a poke at Washington as it moves to enforce U.N. as well as its own sanctions against the isolated regime for its May 25 nuclear test.

But Vice President Joe Biden indicated the U.S. would not be baited. He described the flurry of rockets as "attention-seeking behavior."

He added: "I don't want to give the attention."

North and South Korea, which fought a 1950-53 war, still face off across the world's most heavily fortified border. The United States, South Korea's key ally, has 28,500 troops stationed in the country as a deterrent.

The North's main Rodong Sinmun newspaper said in a commentary that "our revolutionary forces have grown up today as the strong army that can impose merciless punishment against those who offend us," crediting the country's "military first" policy.

The commentary was carried Sunday by the official Korean Central News Agency.

Last month, the North threatened a "thousand-fold" military retaliation against the U.S. and its allies if provoked.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has been devoting much of the country's scarce resources to his 1.2 million-member military under the policy.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency — citing a government source it did not identify — reported that five of the seven ballistic missiles landed in one area, indicating their accuracy has improved.

Yonhap said two of the seven missiles launched are believed to be variants of Rodong missiles while the rest are believed to be upgraded versions of Scud-C missiles.

The modified Scud-C versions have a range of up to 370 miles 600 kilometers, which could hit most of South Korea. Rodong missiles, meanwhile, have a range of up to 800 miles 1,300 kilometers, putting most parts of Japan within striking distance.

Yonhap said, however, that the range of the Rodong missiles launched Saturday had been reduced apparently to improve accuracy.

Associated Press writer Louise Nordstrom in Stockholm contributed to this report.





Nancy Chan

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