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| South Korean Minister of National Defense Jeong Kyeong-doo attends the second plenary session of the 18th International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Shangri-la Dialogue, an annual defense and security forum in Asia, in Singapore, Saturday. AP-Yonhap |
Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo reiterated Saturday that more analysis is needed to determine whether North Korea test-fired ballistic missiles last month, even though his U.S. and Japanese counterparts have characterized the launches as a violation of UNSC resolutions.
Jeong made the remarks during a session of the Asia Security Summit, also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, in Singapore, stressing that the assessment of the North's May 9 launches was based on close cooperation and coordination with the United States.
"There is a lot of discussion on whether they were short-range ballistic missiles or not ... There were similarities, but there were also differences. So we need more analysis to make sure and verify their nature," Jeong said in answer to a question from the audience.
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| Acting U.S. Secretary of Defence Patrick Shanahan, center, and South Korean Minister of National Defence Jeong Kyeong-doo during a gala dinner at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) 18th Asia Security Summit in Singapore, Friday. AFP-Yonhap |
Speaking at the same session, Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya said that he believes that North Korea test-fired "short-range ballistic missiles," and that this was a shared view between the U.S. and Japan.
On Thursday, acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan also told reporters, "These were short-range missiles and those are a violation of the UNSCR. Yes." UNSCR stands for U.N. Security Council resolutions.
Under the resolutions, the North is banned from testing ballistic missiles.
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| South Korea's Defence Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo, left, shakes hands with his Japanese counterpart Takeshi Iwaya during the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore, Saturday. AFP-Yonhap |
Experts have said the missiles were the North Korean version of the Iskander, a short-range ground-to-ground ballistic missile. Opposition political parties here are alleging that the government is reluctant to acknowledge this over concerns it could negatively affect the negotiating process with Pyongyang.
On May 4, the North launched several "projectiles," which involved "a new type of tactical guided weapon" and 240-mm and 300-mm multiple rocket launcher systems. Five days later, it fired a second set of "projectiles," including two short-range missiles, according to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).
The defense ministers of South Korea, the U.S., and Japan are to hold a trilateral meeting Sunday, with the North Korean issue expected to top the agenda. (Yonhap)
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