WASHINGTON, July 4 (Xinhua) -- U.S. national security adviser Stephen Hadley said on Tuesday that the launch of missiles by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) was a "provocative behavior" but posed no apparent threat to U.S. territory. 

DPRK 's Taepodong-2 missile(File Photo)

    "We do consider it provocative behavior" as the DPRK move violated a missile test moratorium, Hadley said.

    The DPRK test fired a total of five missiles, including the long-range Taepodong 2 missile that resulted in failure about one minute after launch, U.S. officials said.

    Hadley said that the missile launch by the DPRK posed no apparent threat to U.S. territory as "a missile that fails after 40 seconds is not a threat to the United States," he said. Enditem

A satellite image released by US media on May 24, 2006 shows the area where a missile facility is located.(File Photo)

    WASHINGTON, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has test fired at least three missiles and possibly a fourth, CNN television reported Tuesday.

    The missiles included a long-range Taepodong 2 missile which appeared failed, the report said.

    The DPRK first fired two Scud-type short-range missiles that landed in the Sea of Japan, the report said, citing a Pentagon official.

    The United States has repeatedly urged the DPRK not to launch such missiles and threatened that such a launch would be "unacceptable."

    An unidentified U.S. State Department official said Tuesday that the DRPK missile launch is "a provocative act", according to CNN.

    In Tokyo, Japan's Kyodo News, citing a Japanese government source, said the DPRK fired the third missile at around 5 a.m. Wednesday local time (2000 GMT, Tuesday).

    Earlier, Japan's public broadcaster NHK reported two missile launches by the DPRK.

    A ballistic Rodong missile was fired by the DPRK at 3:32 a.m. Wednesday local time (1832 GMT, Tuesday). Its warhead dropped into the Sea of Japan six minutes after the launch, NHK said.

    The second missile was launched about 15 minutes later, NHK said. Enditem

Related story:

DPRK launches 3 missiles: Japanese government spokesman 

    TOKYO, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) fired three missiles early Wednesday morning, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe said.

    The missiles, which all landed in the Sea of Japan several hundred kilometers off the coast of Japan, were launched at about 3:30 a.m., 4:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. local time respectively (1830 GMT, 1900 GMT and 2000 GMT), the top government spokesman said in a televised news conference.

    Japan "lodges a stern protest and expresses regret" about the DPRK's missile actions, Abe said.