N. Korea bans ships from East Sea for military drill: official

By Sam Kim
SEOUL, June 23 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has notified Japan of a 16-day ban on
ships in a portion of its eastern waters starting Thursday, citing a military
exercise, a South Korean official said.

"The North has informed Japan's coast guard authorities of its June 25-July 10
ban for a drill" off the city of Wonsan, South Korean defense ministry spokesman
Won Tae-jae told reporters.
The notification marks the first time that North Korea has specified a reason for
imposing a coastal ban. Wonsan is located in the southeastern part of North
Korea, approximately 100 kilometers north of the inter-Korean border.
North Korea test-fired a series of short-range missiles off its east coast after
it conducted its second nuclear test on May 25. South Korean officials say the
communist state may be preparing to test-launch several mid-range ones from
missile bases south of Wonsan.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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