Vice unification minister expresses regret over N.K. projectile launches

SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- Vice Unification Minister Suh Ho expressed regret Tuesday over North Korea's launching of two projectiles the previous day.

The North fired two projectiles believed to be short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast Monday, the first such launches since Pyongyang warned early this year that it will show off a "new strategic weapon."

"As the unification ministry, it is an issue we cannot but express regret over," Suh said.

Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency said Tuesday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw a "firepower strike drill" by long-range artillery units.

The report did not elaborate on the details of the weapons used at the training, but photos released by the state media showed a rocket being fired from what appeared to be a super-large multiple rocket launcher North Korea tested last year.

julesyi@yna.co.kr
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