Roundup: S. Korea denounces DPRK's Musudan missile launch as violation of UN resolutions

South Korea on Wednesday denounced the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s test-launches of two missiles, which were believed to be intermediate-range Musudan ballistic missiles, as it violated UN Security Council resolutions banning any test of Pyongyang's ballistic missile technology.

Unification Ministry spokesman Jeong Joon-hee told a press briefing that all DPRK launches of projectiles using ballistic missile technology were in violation of UN Security Council resolutions, saying that the Wednesday launches were clear provocations against South Korea.

The DPRK test-fired what was believed to be a Musudan missile at 8:05 a.m. local time from its Wonsan area in the east coast, about two hours after launching another missile near the area, according to Seoul's defense ministry.

The second missile launched in the day flew about 400 km, nearing to a required distance to be considered successful in test-firings.

Seoul's military believed that an intermediate-range ballistic missile can be successful only when flying at least 300 km. Yonhap reported that the minimum flight range of such missile should reach at least 500 km, but it was launched at a high angle with a possible aim to intentionally lessen the flight distance.

A senior South Korean government official was quoted by Yonhap news agency as saying that the DPRK's missile technology and capability were believed to have advanced after repeated failures in test-launches.

If confirmed, it would mark the first success of the Musudan missile launch since it was deployed by DPRK forces in 2007. All of the previous four test-firings earlier this year were considered failures as those exploded in mid-air or crashed in waters several seconds after lift-off.

The first launch of the day was also believed to have failed as it flew about 150 km before being fragmented into several pieces during the flight. The military authorities of South Korea and the United States are conducting detailed analysis on whether the Wednesday launches were successful.

Seoul's foreign ministry said in a separate statement that Pyongyang would face strong sanctions and pressures from South Korea and the international community, lambasting the missile launches.

South Korea has focused on pressures and sanctions against the DPRK after Pyongyang's fourth nuclear test in January and a launch in February of a long-range rocket, which was condemned as a disguised test of ballistic missile technology.

After the seventh ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) congress that lasted four days through May 9, the DPRK repeatedly made dialogue overtures toward South Korea to talk about military matters in order to defuse tensions on the Korean peninsula.

Seoul, however, had rejected the proposals as Pyongyang had yet to express its willingness to denuclearize. South Korea held fast to its position that no dialogue would be held with the DPRK unless Pyongyang shows its denuclearization will through sincere actions.

The South Korean government convened a National Security Council (NSC) meeting, chaired by Kim Kwan-jin, top security advisor to President Park Geun-hye, to discuss countermeasures.

Attendants at the closed-door meeting include ministers of foreign affairs, unification and defense as well as chief of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), the country's spy agency, and presidential senior secretary for foreign affairs and security. Endit