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North Korea missile tests ‘aimed at US-South Korea defence ties’
- Pyongyang made a calculated move to show frustration but not provoke a backlash, observers say
- Launches also suggest North Korea is testing the waters with China
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The North Korean missile tests conducted at the weekend were a sign of Pyongyang’s frustration over deepening US-South Korean defence ties, but were calculated not to provoke a backlash, according to diplomatic observers.
Senior US administration officials said on Tuesday that Pyongyang fired short-range missiles off North Korea’s western coast on Sunday.
They were initially described as ballistic weapons but that assessment was revised on Wednesday.
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“The North test-fired what were believed to be two cruise missiles from Onchon county on Sunday morning. They were all short-range,” a Joint Chiefs of Staff military official in Seoul said.
Neither cruise missiles nor short-range missiles are covered by UN Security Council resolutions aimed at deterring North Korea from pursuing nuclear and ballistic weapons.
02:19
Kim Jong-un’s sister warns US not to ‘cause a stink’ with North Korea
Kim Jong-un’s sister warns US not to ‘cause a stink’ with North Korea
The launches did not prompt a strong response in Washington, with US President Joe Biden saying he did not consider the tests amounted to provocation.
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