By Jun Ji-hye
North Korea fired two missiles from its east coast Wednesday morning, with the second one flying about 400 kilometers, officials said.
The first one exploded mid-air after flying some 150 kilometers.
It was too early to call the second missile a success or failure, though it marked the most notable improvement of North Korea’s missile technology yet, the officials said.
Following the launch of what appeared to be Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBMs), National Security Office chief Kim Kwan-jin called an emergency meeting of the National Security Council at Cheong Wa Dae.
The United States and Japan strongly condemned the firing, saying it was a clear violation of U.N. resolutions banning the North from developing ballistic missiles.
At around 5:58 a.m., the isolated state fired off the first missile, presumed to be the Musudan, from near Wonsan along the east coast, but the missile exploded after 150 kilometers, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).
About two hours later at 8:05 a.m., the North launched another missile from the same area, the JCS noted.
“The second missile flew about 400 kilometers,” a JCS official said, without revealing where the missile landed. “South Korea and the United States militaries are carrying out an in-depth analysis of it.”
The JCS refused to elaborate on whether the second launch was a success, but sources said the North appeared to have overcome previous failures, given that it flew a far longer distance this time compared to previous tests.
Seoul and Washington are also analyzing whether the missile was mounted with a model of a miniaturized nuclear warhead.
Since April, Pyongyang has launched six Musudan missiles, including the two Wednesday.
Only the last test is assumed to be successful. The previous failures cast serious doubts over the quality of the missiles, which were deployed in 2007 without testing.
It is believed that the North has achieved progress in IRBM technology through the previous failures, defense observers said.
The Musudan is the North Korean version of Russia’s submarine-launched ballistic missile, SS-N-6, observers say.
The Musudan is thought to have a range of 3,000 to 4,000 kilometers. It could theoretically reach any targets in Japan and strike as far away as the U.S. territory of Guam, home to U.S. naval and air bases.
The Ministry of Unification and the Ministry of National Defense urged the North to immediately stop the provocative actions.
“This is a clear violation of U.N. resolutions that prohibit any activities involving ballistic missile technology,” the defense ministry said, denouncing the launch.
Officials said that South Korea will seek close cooperation with other allies in dealing with the latest launches, hinting that the matter could be referred to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
The U.S. State Department also said it will raise the issue at the UNSC to hold the totalitarian state accountable for the provocative actions.
“These provocations only serve to increase the international community’s resolve to counter the DPRK’s prohibited activities, including through implementing existing UNSC sanctions,” spokesman John Kirby said in a statement.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also decried Pyongyang’s latest launches, calling them unacceptable, according to Kyodo News.