N. Korea, Defiant As Ever, Sends Up Rockets — Launches Rhetorical Blast Toward Washington

SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea reportedly test-fired several short-range missiles off its western coast today, the communist nation’s latest apparent angry response to the new South Korean government’s tougher stance on Pyongyang.

The launches came as the North issued a stern rebuke to Washington over an impasse at nuclear disarmament talks.

“The United States is clinging to shabby magic to make us a criminal in order to save face,” North’s Foreign Ministry said. “If the United States keeps delaying the resolution of the nuclear issue … it could gravely affect disablement of nuclear facilities.”

The firing of three ship-to-ship missiles happened at around 10:30 a.m. (8:30 p.m. CST Thursday), South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported, citing unidentified officials.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Defense Ministry said they were checking on the report, which came one day after South Korea withdrew officials from a joint industrial zone with North Korea at Pyongyang’s request.

That move was prompted by the North’s anger over South Korean statements that any expansion of the project in the border city of Kaesong would only happen if the North resolved the international standoff over its nuclear weapons.

The North showed signs earlier this week it was preparing to test short-range missiles as part of routine training, Yonhap reported. The country declared a no-sailing zone off the coastal city of Nampo and placed a military boat equipped with anti-ship missiles on standby.

Originally published by Associated Press .

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