North Korea fires short-range missiles after UN sanctions

(Baonghean.vn) - South Korea's defense minister said North Korea fired short-range missiles off its east coast on March 3, just hours after the United Nations Security Council adopted tough new sanctions against Pyongyang.

An unknown photo released on February 21 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un supervising a test flight of North Korean air force fighter jets at an undisclosed location. Photo: AFP.

After initially describing the incidents as “short-range missile launches,” spokesman Moon Sang-Gyun said the South Korean Defense Ministry is now analyzing the exact type of missile fired.

Mr. Moon provided information on the time the missiles were fired off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula at 10:00 a.m. (8:00 a.m. Vietnam time).

“The South Korean military is closely monitoring any further moves from North Korea,” he added.

After Pyongyang's H-bomb tests and satellite launches in the first two months of this year, neighboring countries have voiced their concerns. The Security Council's decision to increase sanctions on North Korea to the highest level in 20 years has been welcomed by many countries around the world.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye made a statement on the new sanctions on March 3, thanking the international community for their efforts. She said: “I sincerely hope that North Korea will abandon its nuclear development program and embark on the path of change, and I will make further efforts to promote peace and unification on the Korean Peninsula.”

Thu Giang

(According to AFP, CNN)