North Korea fires missile into sea, Seoul says

PanARMENIAN.Net - North Korea fired a short-range missile into the sea on Friday, April 1, Seoul officials said, hours after the U.S., South Korean and Japanese leaders pledged to work closer together to prevent North Korea from advancing its nuclear and missile programs, the Associated Press reports.

The surface-to-air missile fired from an eastern coastal area flew into waters off the North's east coast, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. It gave no further details.

The missile is the latest in a series of weapon launches by the North in an apparent response to ongoing military exercises between the United States and South Korea. North Korea views the drills as an invasion rehearsal.

This year's drills, set to run until late April, are the biggest, and come after North Korea's nuclear test and long-range rocket test earlier this year, AP says.

On Tuesday, North Korea fired a short-range projectile that crashed on land in the country's northeast, according to South Korean defense officials. The launch prompted media speculation in South Korea that Pyongyang may have used a land target to test the accuracy of its weapons. In the past, the North has usually fired missiles, artillery shells and rockets into the sea.

Also Friday, South Korea blamed North Korea for sending radio waves to jam GPS signals in South Korea, calling it a provocation. There were no reports of major disruptions in South Korean military, air and naval transport and telecommunication systems.