North Korea Fires Missile Barrage      10/29 06:11

   

   SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- North Korea launched a barrage of ballistic 
missiles toward its eastern waters Thursday, South Korea's military said, days 
after the North threatened to resume front-line propaganda loudspeaker 
broadcasts and deploy new weapons along the rivals' tense border.

   The launches also followed leader Kim Jong Un's surprise weekend visit to 
China, the North's main ally and economic lifeline, to push for greater 
cooperation.

   South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected about 10 short-range 
ballistic missiles fired from North Korea's eastern coastal town of Wonsan and 
that they each flew about 250 kilometers (155 miles). It said South Korea's 
military maintained its readiness to repel any provocations by North Korea in 
close coordination with the United States. Japan's Defense Ministry also 
reported a suspected ballistic missile launch by North Korea.

   Animosity between the Koreas has deepened since last month's land mine 
blasts at the border that injured three South Korean soldiers. Seoul accused 
North Korea of planting mines south of the military demarcation line and 
demanded an apology. But Pyongyang has denied responsibility for the explosions 
and warned of retaliation if provoked.

   Last week, North Korea said it would restart propaganda broadcasts and place 
new weapons systems on alert along the border in protest against what it called 
repeated warning shots by South Korean troops at border areas. South Korea 
later proposed talks on clarifying the border to prevent accidental clashes, 
but North Korea hasn't responded.

   During a visit to a South Korean border town earlier this week, Associated 
Press journalists saw North Korean artillery guns located on the other side of 
the border that had not been previously visible.

   In recent years, North Korea has been placing more mines, barbed-wire fences 
and other defense structures along the border in line with Kim's policy of 
severing ties with South Korea. Seoul has said North Korean troops have 
repeatedly violated the border during the work and that South Korea's military 
has responded by firing warning shots. North Korea has denied the alleged 
border breaches.

   North Korea has in recent weeks ramped up weapons tests in a likely bid to 
win greater U.S. concessions as President Donald Trump has expressed his desire 
to restore diplomacy with Kim.

   On Saturday, Kim visited the Chinese border city of Dandong via a newly 
inaugurated bridge to pay his respects at a memorial marking China's support of 
North Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War. It was his sixth visit to China as 
leader.

   At the memorial, Kim said North Korea will firmly carry forward "the 
invincible" friendship with China. Meeting with a top Chinese official later 
Saturday, Kim reaffirmed his resolve to develop bilateral cooperation.

   Kim has recently taken steps to bolster ties with China after years of 
prioritizing ties with Russia, including by sending troops and ammunitions to 
support its war against Ukraine.

   China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Thursday that Beijing 
hoped all relevant nations would stay committed to a political settlement to 
resolve tensions on the Korean Peninsula and seek to promote regional peace.