N. KOREA FIRES TWO BALLISTIC MISSILES

[Anchor Lead]

North Korea fired two medium-range ballistic missiles to the East Sea on Sunday. The missiles were launched from the Dongchang-ri area in North Pyonganbukdo Province where they recently tested their "high-thrust solid-fuel motor", hinting at the possibility of test firing a new type of missile using this engine.

[Pkg]

The South Korean military detected that North Korea launched two mid-range ballistic missiles from the Dongchang-ri area toward the East Sea. The missiles were fired fifty-two minutes apart, starting at 11:13 a.m. Sunday. Both were launched at a high angle and flew nearly five hundred kilometers before falling into the East Sea. The Japanese Defense Ministry reported the altitude as 550 kilometers. The missiles would have flown around two thousand kilometers at a normal angle, putting both the Korean peninsula and the entire Japanese territory within their range. The Joint Chiefs of Staff did not disclose detailed specifications such as altitude and speed this time. The South Korean military reportedly decided not to make the information public because it could benefit North Korea and could cause confusion by announcing different data from South Korea's findings. South Korean and American authorities noted that the launch site was in the Dongchang-ri area where a new solid fuel engine was tested on December 15th. Since North Korea has been concentrating on developing solid fuel ICBMs, the latest launches of MRBMs could have been carried out as an intermediate stage.

[Soundbite] Lee Choon-geun(Science and Technology Policy Institute) : "The Dongchang-ri site has an excellent missile tracking and control system. They could have been planning on using the site for launching small satellites or ICBMs."

The recent launches also appear to be a protest against Japan's decision to acquire counter strike capability and the adoption of a resolution on North Korea's human rights situation at the UN. The National Security Council's standing committee said it is deplorable of the Kim Jong-un regime to continue missile provocations while remaining indifferent to its people's sufferings.