2nd LD Writethru: DPRK fires short-range projectile in show of force

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Tuesday fired a short-range projectile in an apparent show of force toward the ongoing U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises and sanctions on Pyongyang over its nuclear test and long-range rocket launch.

The projectile was launched at about 5:40 p.m. local time (0840 GMT) from the DPRK's eastern coastal city of Wonsan into the northeast region, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

It was believed to have been fired from the DPRK's new 300-mm multiple rocket launcher as it flew about 200 km.

Yonhap news agency cited the military authorities as saying that the projectile may have landed in a DPRK soil, not in east waters, as Pyongyang may have test-fired the projectile at a target on the ground to improve its precision strike capability.

South Korea's military said it is closely monitoring the move of DPRK forces while maintaining a defense readiness for further DPRK provocations.

The Tuesday launch came just eight days after the DPRK fired off five rounds of its new 300-mm multiple rocket launchers to show off its military force in response to the joint annual war games between Seoul and Washington that kicked off on March 7.

The Key Resolve command post exercise ended earlier this month, but the Foal Eagle field training exercise is scheduled to last until April 30.

UN Security Council adopted tougher-than-ever sanctions on Pyongyang over its fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6, followed about a month later by the launch of a long-range rocket, which was condemned as a disguised test of ballistic missile technology.

Hours after the adoption at UN Security Council of the sanctions in early March, Pyongyang launched six rounds of 300-mm multiple rocket launchers into eastern waters.

Including the Tuesday launch, the DPRK has fired a total of 16 short- and medium-range projectiles in 2016 alone. Enditem