DPRK fires one short-range projectile into east waters

SEOUL  -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Monday fired one short-range projectile, presumed to be a ballistic missile, into the east waters, Yonhap News Agency reported.

DPRK leader guides test-fire of tactical rocket

One Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) official was quoted as saying the DPRK launched one short-range rocket from a site in Chagang Province, just 60 km south of the border between the DPRK and China, at about 10:30 a.m. local time.

The projectile, which flew some 220 km, was presumed to have landed in the DPRK's eastern waters.

It marked the first time for the DPRK to fire a short-range project from the province. The site is known to house a DPRK underground base for Scud missiles.

This time again, Pyongyang failed to issue a no-fly, no-navigation warning before the launch, endangering civilian ships and airplanes possibly flying through the trajectory.

The official said the projectile was presumed to be a ballistic missile, noting that there were possibilities for the rocket to be a newly-developed tactical missile or a Scud missile with a changed range.

It was the DPRK's 18th firing of missiles or artillery shells this year. Pyongyang has launched 108 projectiles since Feb. 21, including shells from the multiple-rocket launchers, Scud and Rodong ballistic missiles and Frog missiles.

The latest was the Aug. 14 firing of five short-range projectiles, known to be new tactical missiles. It came ahead of the Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG) joint military exercise between the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the United States.

The computer-assisted simulation exercise, which kicked off on Aug. 18, ended a day earlier than scheduled last Thursday in what appeared to appease anger of the DPRK.

A day after the end of the UFG, the DPRK urged South Korea not to repeat annual war maneuvers with the United States, calling the UFG "the most dangerous nuclear war maneuver for invading the north."

The ROK military has claimed the UFG is an annual joint military drill of defensive nature, but the DPRK has denounced it as a rehearsal for the northward invasion.