ID :
62282
Mon, 05/25/2009 - 12:00
Auther :

N. Korea couples nuclear blast with missile launch: source


(ATTN: RECASTS lead; ADDS comment)
By Sam Kim
SEOUL, May 25 (Yonhap) -- North Korea appears to have test-fired a short-range
missile Monday on its east coast after it conducted its second nuclear test, a
South Korean source said.

The missile, with an estimated range of 130 kilometers, was fired from the
coastal site where North Korea launched its long-range rocket on April 5, the
source said.
The latest launch comes as tension peaks on the Korean Peninsula after North
Korea claimed it succeeded in detonating a more powerful nuclear device in its
northeastern region.
"The U.S. and South Korean authorities are working together to assess the missile
launch," the source said.
North Korea conducted its first nuclear test in October 2006.
samkim@yna.co.kr
(END)


X