S. Korea condemns N. Korea`s firing of four ballistic missiles

By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, July 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's foreign ministry lashed out at North
Korea's latest launch of four ballistic missiles from its east coast Saturday,
calling it a clear violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions that ban the
communist nation from any activity related to a ballistic missile program.
"The government has confirmed that North Korea fired four ballistic missiles from
the Gitdaeryong site in Gangwon Province," the ministry said in a statement. "It
is a provocative act that clearly violates U.N. Security Council resolutions
1695, 1718, and 1874 that bar North Korea's every activity related to ballistic
missiles."
The ministry was referring to resolutions to punish the North for the launch of a
long-range missile and its first nuclear test in 2006 and another nuclear
experiment in May this year.
"The government expresses deep regret over North Korea's continued acts to
escalate tensions in Northeast Asia in ignorance of the U.N. Security Council
resolutions and urges North Korea to faithfully implement the resolutions," it
added.
The ministry said Seoul will closely cooperate with other related nations to deal
with the North's latest missile launch.
Earlier in the day, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said the North
test-launched two missiles around 8 a.m. and another at about 10:45 a.m.
A foreign ministry official said later that the North fired one more missile from
the same site at 11:59 a.m.
"We are analyzing the exact type of the four missiles," he said on condition of
anonymity.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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