North Korea fires surface-to-ship missiles, claims S. Korea

SEOUL - North Korea on Thursday launched several anti-ship cruise missiles off its east coast, claimed South Korea's military.

The missiles fired from Wonsan landed in the water after a 200km long flight.

According to Yonhap, a South Korean news agency, the latest launching of surface-to-ship missile did not violate the resolution of the United Nations Security Council banning the test of ballistic missiles.

Resolution Against North Korea

On June 3, the UN Security Council had imposed targeted sanctions on North Korea following its repeated ballistic missile test in the running year.

The resolution had been passed by a 15-member council including China, a major ally of Pyongyang. The consent from China comes after weeks-long negotiations between Beijing and Washington.

Under the resolution, four entities, including the Koryo Bank and Strategic Rocket Force of the Korean People's Army have been sanctioned, and a global travel ban has also been imposed on 14 people, including the head of Pyongyang's overseas spying operations, Cho Il-u.

Pyongyang has defied a UN resolution banning all nuclear and missile tests.

The names of senior members of North Korea's Workers' Party and heads of trading firms funding Pyongyang's military programme have been put on a global blacklist.

Pyongyang's Tests

Despite the reservations raised by United Nationa, US and other countries, Pyongyang has been launching several more ballistic missiles.

Recently,  Pyongyang television aired footage of a reported test of an anti-aircraft defense system, including a rocket launch filmed from several positions, and a view of government officials watching the scene. The test was followed by an order to start mass production of the system.