Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


North Korea Announces Missile Test, Blasts S. Korean 'Warmongers'

William Gallo

   Updated at 5:33 a.m.

   Lee Juhyun in Seoul contributed to this report.

   SEOUL -- North Korea has formally announced its latest ballistic
   missile test, saying the launch was a warning to "military warmongers"
   in South Korea who are set to soon hold joint military exercises with
   the United States.

   North Korean state media showed pictures of Kim Jong Un personally
   supervising the Thursday test of what it called a "new-type tactical
   guided weapon." U.S. and South Korean officials say the projectile was
   a short-range ballistic missile.

   The official Korean Central News Agency said the test was meant "to
   send a solemn warning to the south Korean military warmongers who are
   running high fever in their moves to introduce the ultramodern
   offensive weapons into south Korea and hold military exercise in
   defiance of the repeated warnings."

   Complaints about South Korea

   The test raises fresh doubts about working-level nuclear talks that
   were supposed to resume shortly after last month's meeting between Kim
   and U.S. President Donald Trump at the demilitarized zone separating
   the two Koreas.

   North Korea has ignored U.S. requests to restart the talks. Instead, it
   has repeatedly complained about South Korea's recent acquisition of
   U.S. F-35 fighter jets, as well as upcoming U.S.-South Korea joint
   military exercises.

   Kim on Thursday accused South Korean authorities of "strange
   double-dealing behavior" for acquiring "ultra-modern offensive weapons
   and holding joint military exercises," according to KCNA.

   South Korea's National Security Council expressed "strong concern"
   about the launch, which it determined was a "new type of short-range
   ballistic missile." That is firmer than Seoul's response after a
   similar North Korean launch in May. At the time, South Korea referred
   to the North Korean weapons as "projectiles."

.