SEOUL —

North Korea on Sunday hailed the prowess of its military after it test-fired a salvo of seven ballistic missiles in a show of strength that earned international criticism and talk of further isolation.

In a commentary, the ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun praised Pyongyang’s “army-first policy” which gave North Korea the capacity to hit enemies with what it called a “merciless” strike.

“Our defence industry… laid a firm foundation to produce any kind of weapons needed for modern warfare freely,” the newspaper said.

The missiles, which the North are banned from firing under United Nations resolutions, were launched into the Sea of Japan Saturday in an act of defiance apparently timed for the U.S. Independence Day holiday.

They further fueled tension after a nuclear test in May and led US Vice President Joseph Biden to say on Sunday that Pyongyang’s communist regime was engaged in “attention seeking” as it faced increasing isolation.

“Look, this has almost become predictable behavior,” Biden told ABC television. “Some of it seems like almost attention-seeking behavior.”

The missile launches also came as Washington seeks support for tough enforcement of United Nations sanctions aimed at shutting down Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programs.

It was the biggest salvo of ballistic weaponry since the North fired a long-range Taepodong-2 and six smaller missiles on U.S. Independence Day in 2006.

Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles had a range of between 400 and 500 km (250-310 miles) but declined to say what type they were.

Yonhap news agency said they were either Scuds or Rodong-1 missiles whose maximum range of 1,300 km had been shortened.

The North on Thursday test-fired four short-range missiles with a range of 120 km into the Sea of Japan.

But Saturday’s action was seen as more provocative since the missiles could potentially reach most of South Korea, and possibly parts of Japan.

The North has also apparently improved the accuracy of its missiles, an unidentified official told Yonhap, with five out of the seven hitting the target area after traveling about 450 km.

“Three of the seven missiles fired had an unusually high velocity that makes us believe they could have been Rodong missiles that had their flight distance shortened,” the official was quoted as saying.

The North has about 600 Scuds, plus 200 Rodong-1 missiles—which could reach Tokyo.

Professor Kim Yong-Hyun of Seoul’s Dongguk University said the test-firing was designed to demonstrate the country’s improved missile capacity.

“The weekend saber-rattling, apparently designed to demonstrate the country’s improved missile capacity and military firepower, produced its intended effect,” he said.

The U.S. State Department urged Pyongyang not to “aggravate tensions” and called the launches “not helpful.”

Seoul’s foreign ministry said the “provocative act… clearly violates” three U.N. Security Council resolutions, including the latest one on June 12 which toughened weapons-related sanctions on the North in response to its May 25 nuclear test.

Britain, France and Japan also condemned the North’s latest move.

U.S. and South Korean officials believe ailing leader Kim Jong-Il, 67, is staging a show of strength to bolster his authority as he tries to put in place a succession plan involving his youngest son Jong-Un.

U.N. sanctions imposed after the atomic test call on U.N. member states to inspect ships believed to be carrying banned weapons shipments to or from the North.

The North Korean Kang Nam 1, which was being tracked by the U.S. Navy under the new measures, was seen on Sunday in international waters off South Korea’s west coast, according to Yonhap.

It was heading back to its home port in the Yellow Sea, Yonhap said, and was expected to reach North Korean waters Monday morning.

Wire reports

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5 Comments

• 

  Scrote at 08:46 AM JST - 6th July

  It's a pity the North can't boast of being able to feed its people. The biggest enemy of the North Korean people is the despot Kim Jong Il. Why not fire the missiles at him?

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  Kwaabish at 11:58 AM JST - 6th July

  Hey Kimmie, how about mercilessly trying to feed your own citizens by yourself??? When you can take care of your own, then come a'boastin...

  Until then, you're just a weird looking, crazy begger.

• 

  ca1ic0cat at 11:34 PM JST - 6th July

  Yeah lil Kim, you've got a big L tattooed on your forhead for LOSER! Nobody cares how much you rant and rave any longer; we're not buying the same horse twice. We'll send food but only with monitors to make sure the needy are getting it. Maybe you should close the detention centers and stop executing whole families. Ya think? You're pathetic! Come to think of it, why don't you just jump off a cliff and save us all the aggro?

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  VOR at 02:46 AM JST - 7th July

  the tyrants of the world are just taking advantage of the lack of leadership in Washington right now. Hard to say if they are on the move or just poking the US in the eye.

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  HonestDictator at 07:17 AM JST - 8th July

  Huh? Vor you got it all wrong, the US just wants NK to make the first move so they can seal their fate and the US doesn't get blamed. Wait and see is whats going to be happening from now on with NK. Guns a blazing doesn't work all that great any more.

  What do you suggest, give them more "Assistance" AKA blackmail money?

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