SEOUL: North
Korea yesterday fired what appeared to be two short-range ballistic missiles
into the sea after vowing to remain the biggest "threat" to the
United States and branding Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as "toxin."
It was the latest in a series of short-range missile tests the nuclear-armed
nation has carried out in recent weeks in protest against US-South Korean
military exercises, which it sees as a rehearsal for invasion.

The latest joint
drill wrapped up on Tuesday. "The military detected two unidentified
projectiles presumed to be short-range ballistic missiles," South Korea's
Joint Chiefs of Staff in a statement Saturday after the latest launch. The
missiles flew about 380 kilometers and reached an altitude of 97 kilometers at
a top speed of Mach 6.5 before landing in the East Sea, also known as Sea of
Japan, it said.

"Our
military is tracking the movement in the North in case of additional launches,
with firm readiness," it added. 
South Korea's presidential Blue House convened a National Security
Council meeting and expressed "grave concerns" in a statement,
pointing out Pyongyang had carried out the launch after the joint US-South
Korea military drills had ended.

"NSC members
agreed to continue diplomatic efforts with the international community to bring
the North back to negotiation table with the US to achieve the goal of complete
denuclearization in the Korean peninsula." 
Tokyo also believed North Korea had fired "ballistic missiles"
in violation of UN resolutions, Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya told
reporters. "It can't be overlooked no matter what the size and distance
are," he said. Washington was monitoring the situation following reports
of a missile launch, a senior US official said. "We are consulting closely
with our Japanese and South Korean allies."

'Biggest threat'

South Korea's
military said it would share intelligence on the launches with Japan despite
Seoul saying earlier this week that it was terminating such exchanges amid a
growing diplomatic and trade spat with its neighbor, which had raised concern
it could weaken tracking of Pyongyang's actions by the US allies.

Nuclear talks
between Pyongyang and Washington have been gridlocked since a second summit in
Hanoi in February collapsed without an agreement over the extent of
denuclearisation in the North and a sanctions relief. US President Donald Trump
and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un agreed to kick start working-level talks during
an impromptu meeting at the Demilitarized Zone on June 30 but no contacts have
been held since with the North repeatedly expressing anger at the war games.

Earlier this
week, Stephen Biegun, the US special envoy for North Korea, said during a visit
to Seoul that Washington was "prepared to engage" as soon as it hears
from Pyongyang. But on Friday, the North vowed to "remain as the biggest
'threat' to the US" if Washington persisted with sanctions, in a statement
by Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho. Ri also launched a scathing attack on Pompeo,
calling him a "diehard toxin" after the top US diplomat said
Washington would continue to keep the "toughest" sanctions on the
North until the reclusive state denuclearizes.- AFP