"美국방부, 9일 발사한 北발사체는 탄도미사일"…韓 국방부 "아직 확인중"
More details are coming out on yesterday's weapons test by North Korea.... and the Pentagon has confirmed that the projectiles fired were ballistic missiles.
Seoul's defense ministry, however, is being more cautious, saying further analysis is needed.
Our Kim Ji-yeon leading us off at the defense ministry.
In a statement released by Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Dave Eastburn on Thursday... the U.S. Defense Department confirmed that North Korea had launched multiple BALLISTIC missiles from its northwestern location.... and that the missiles flew more than 300 kilometers before landing in the East Sea.
Seoul's Defense Ministry, on the other hand, is taking a more cautious stance... saying on Friday that it's still confirming the Pentagon's (quote)"unofficial" statement... on whether they're ballistic missiles... reiterating that it currently sees them as short-range missiles.
The missile firing was the first by the North since November 2017... when the regime test-fired the Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile.
A defense ministry official confirmed 240 millimeter multiple rocket launchers were also fired on Thursday... in another location and direction when compared to the two short-range missiles launched from Kusong, Pyonganbuk-do Province.
The main consensus among local experts is that it's nearly certain that the missiles were in fact, ballistic.
"Thursday's firing is similar to Russia's Iskander ballistic missiles and it's short-range because it's less than 1000 kilometers. Looking at the trajectory and flying altitude of the missile... it's a ballistic and not a cruise missile. "
The Iskander ballistic missile is able to move away from its original flight arc to change its target or avoid being shot down by anti-missile systems.
The expert said the discrepancy between the U.S. and South Korea in their assessment of the firing may come from diplomatic reasons rather than military analyses... adding that Seoul's defense ministry may strategically be avoiding the word "ballistic" to keep the conciliatory momentum so that Pyeongyang could engage in dialogue for denuclearization.
"But if it's confirmed that the North has fired ballistic missiles, it would make it official that the North has violated a series of United Nations Security Council resolutions that ban such testing.
Kim Ji-yeon, Arirang News."
