S. Korea closely coordinates with US after belated disclosure of NK missile launch
Korea said Monday it is maintaining close coordination with the United States on North Korea's missile launches, after criticism arose over its delayed announcement of the North's latest launch. The North's state media said Friday that North Korea conducted tests of a new multiple rocket launcher and other key weapons the previous day, a launch that was overseen by its leader Kim Jong-un. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), however, did not disclose details of the latest launch on the day of the test-firing, raising the question of whether it withheld the information or failed to detect the weapons launch in time. A local media outlet raised the possibility that the U.S.' decision to limit information-sharing with South Korea on the North's military movements may have hampered Seoul's ability to track them in real time. "South Korea and the U.S. detected and tracked in real time multiple projectiles launched by North Korea between 7:27 a.m. and 8.20 a.m. on June 25, maintaining close coordination for all contingencies," Col. Lee Kyung-ho, deputy defense ministry spokesperson, said
