Reports: NKorea test-fires 2 short-range missiles
By HYUNG-JIN KIM, Associated Press
May 26, 2009 2:21 AM CDT
Visitors look at the sign of North Korea's missiles at an unification observation post near the border village of the Panmunjom (DMZ) that separates the two Koreas since the Korean War, in Paju, South Korea, Tuesday, May 26, 2009. The United Nations swiftly condemned North Korea for its test of a powerful...   (Associated Press)

North Korea launched tests Tuesday of two more short-range missiles a day after conducting a nuclear test, news reports said, pushing the regime's confrontation with world powers further despite the threat of U.N. Security Council action.

Two missiles _ one ground-to-air, the other ground-to-ship _ with a range of about 80 miles (130 kilometers) were test-fired Tuesday from an east coast launch pad, the Yonhap news agency and YTN television reported, citing unnamed South Korean officials.

South Korea's spy chief, Won Sei-hoon, had informed lawmakers earlier Tuesday that North Korea appeared to be preparing to test-fire more missiles, according to Park Young-sun, a legislator who attended the closed-door session.

Pyongyang also test-fired three short-range missiles Monday in the hours after conducting an underground nuclear test in the northeast, Yonhap said.

The Security Council called Monday's underground atomic test in northeastern North Korea a "clear violation" of a 2006 resolution banning the regime from developing its nuclear program and has begun working on a new resolution that could mean stronger sanctions.

France called for new sanctions while the U.S. and Japan pushed for strong action against North Korea for testing a bomb that Russian officials said compares in power to those that obliterated Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II.

North Korea had threatened in recent weeks to carry out a nuclear test and fire long-range missiles unless the Security Council apologized for condemning Pyongyang's April 5 launch of a rocket the U.S., Japan and other nations called a test of its long-range missile technology.

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