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North Korea Agrees to Hold Talks, Launches Projectile

William Gallo

   SEOUL - North Korea has conducted another apparent missile launch,
   hours after announcing it will hold working-level nuclear talks with
   the United States on Saturday.

   The North fired an unknown number of projectiles from the coastal town
   of Wonsan in Gangwon province early Wednesday, South Korea's military
   said in a statement.

   Japanese officials described the projectile as missiles, saying one
   landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone off Shimane Prefecture. The
   other landed just outside Japan's EEZ, Tokyo said.

   If confirmed, it would be the first time in nearly two years that a
   North Korean rocket has landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone.

   No further details about the launch were immediately available.

   Since May

   It is North Korea's 11th round of launches since May, suggesting
   Pyongyang intends to continue its provocations even while engaging in
   negotiations about its nuclear weapons program.

   Late Tuesday, North Korea's vice foreign minister said Pyongyang and
   Washington have agreed to hold long-delayed, working-level talks on
   October 5. The two sides will have "preliminary contact" the day
   before, she said.

   It's not clear how the latest launch will impact the talks. U.S.
   President Donald Trump has said he has "no problem" with Pyongyang's
   previous launches, since they were short-range.

   North Korea has given varying justifications for its previous launches
   this year. Some of the launches, it says, were aimed at sending a
   warning to South Korea. Others were simply a test of its military
   capabilities and should not be seen as a provocation, it insisted.

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