Norrth Korea's state media has released a report about the regime's firing of two short-range missiles into the East Sea.<br />It said the launch was conducted to warn South Korea against an upcoming joint military exercise with the U.S., adding Kim Jong-un oversaw the test.<br />For more on this, we have our Unification Ministry correspondent Oh Jung-hee on the line.<br />Jung-hee<br /><br />Yes Mark, we have to note the fact that Pyeongyang's state-run media clearly stated and emphasized that yesterday's missile launch was an intended show of force.<br />It's really the first time we've seen an expression like that in a North Korean report since things began to thaw on the Korean Peninsula last year.<br />The North's Korean Central News Agency says North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was satisfied to have confirmed the power of the tactical guided weapon, saying they're not easy to defend against.<br />The agency says the missile launch was to send a direct warning to the South Korean military for planning to go ahead with the joint military exercise with the U.S. despite continued messages from the North.<br />Pyeongyang seems confident that the missile launch would have (quote)"inflicted insecurity for some" which could include the United States as well.<br />But the North mainly took aim at South Korea for showing a contradictory attitude of forming a conciliatory mood between North Korea and the U.S., but at the same time organizing hostile military exercises and adopting powerful weapons.<br />The North says that South Korea should not ignore the warnings from Pyeongyang.<br /><br />So after the North fired these missiles, South Korea held a National Security Council meeting yesterday.<br />What's Seoul's assessment on the projectiles?<br /><br />Seoul defined them as (quote)"a new type of short-range ballistic missile."<br />And that's a big difference from the previous missile launch we saw in May, when South Korea downplayed what the North fired, describing them as just "short-range missiles."<br />Though the assessment will be finalized after further analysis by Seoul and Washington, if the missiles are confirmed to be of the ballistic variety,... the launches would be regarded as a clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions... and the North could face additional international sanctions.<br />It would also be considered a breach of the military agreement signed by the two Koreas last year.<br />Seoul's National Security Council also expressed concerns regarding the regime's unexpected action, which makes reducing military tensions on the Korean Peninsula more complicated.<br />Mark.<br />
