DPRK confirms missile test launches

File photo shows DPRK's Taepodong 2 missile. (File Photo/Xinhua)

        PYONGYANG, July 6 (Xinhua) -- A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry confirmed Thursday that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) had test-fired missiles, saying the missile launches were part of the routine military exercises aimed at increasing the nation's military capacity for self-defense.

    The spokesman said in a statement that the DPRK remains unchanged in its will to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula in a negotiated peaceful manner just as it committed itself in the Sept. 19 joint statement of the six-party talks, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

    The latest missile launch exercises are quite irrelevant to the six-party talks, the statement said.

    The KCNA also quoted the spokesman as saying that the missile launches were "successful" and that "the DPRK's exercise of its legitimate right as a sovereign state is neither bound to any international law nor to bilateral or multilateral agreements such as DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration and the joint statement of the six-party talks." Full story>>

   China expresses serious concern over DPRK's missile test-firing

    BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said here Wednesday that China is "seriously concerned" over the tensions caused by the missile test-firing by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

    "We are seriously concerned with what had happened," Liu said in a press release.

    He urged the parties concerned to keep calm and exercise restraint, make more efforts to promote peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula and the northeast Asia and avoid actions that further intensify and complicate the situation. Full story>> ¡¡

    World continues to act over DPRK missile tests

    BEIJING, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Countries around the world on Thursday continued to pay close attention to the missile tests by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) a day earlier.

    Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday his country is disappointed over the missile tests.

    "We are disappointed over what is happening in that area," Putin said in an interactive webcast from the Kremlin.Full story>>

     Global outcry over DPRK missile tests

Countries across the world on Wednesday expressed deep concern about the missile tests conducted by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), considering the move detrimental to regional peace and stability. (Photo: CCTV 9)

    BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Countries across the world on Wednesday expressed deep concern about the missile tests conducted by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), considering the move detrimental to regional peace and stability.

    Members of the six-party talks except the DPRK all reacted swiftly to the tests.

    The South Korean government issued a statement expressing "deep regret" over the launching of the missiles, including the long-range Taepodong-2 missile and the Rodong missiles. Full story>>

    DPRK's missile launch "provocative": US

    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

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