North Korea launches ballistic missiles

North Korea fired three ballistic missiles into the sea on Monday, drawing condemnation from world leaders gathered in China for the G-20 summit.

The medium-range Rodong-class missiles flew about 1,000 km (620 miles) before landing in the Sea of Japan, South Korea's military said.

"They are speculated to be Rodong missiles with a range of 1,000 kilometers and were fired without navigational warning to Japan," a spokesman said in a statement.

"North Korea's ballistic missile launch is a direct violation of UN Security Council resolutions, aimed at showing off its nuclear and missile capabilities during the G-20 summit," he added.

The show of force comes some two weeks after North Korea conducted a submarine-launched ballistic missile test. UN Security Council resolutions ban all ballistic missile-related activities by the North.

The United States condemned the latest saber-rattling as a "reckless" act that endangered civil aviation and maritime commerce.

Japan's defense ministry said the missiles landed in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and posed a "grave threat" to the country's national security.

The missile launch came hours after South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of the G-20 summit.

Park told his Chinese counterpart that North Korean nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches are a threat to regional security and damage South Korea-China ties.

China is one of North Korea's only patrons, but has been unwilling or unable to control Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile ambitions, even as it has backed UN Security Council resolutions.

China opposes the proposed deployment of the United States' THAAD anti-missile system in South Korea, a move intended to counter the North's missile threat.

Xi warned Park that the deployment of the advanced anti-missile system would harm relations.

cw/jil (AFP, dpa, Reuters)