Defense chief says N.K. missiles in last month's test-firing flew about 600 km

SEOUL, April 28 (Yonhap) -- Defense Minister Suh Wook said Wednesday that the ballistic missiles North Korea test-fired last month flew about 600 kilometers, revising the military's initial assessment.

After the North's March 25 test-firing of two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea, the military said their flight range was 450 km. North Korean state media has claimed that the missiles flew 600 km.

"We believe that they flew about 600 km," Suh said in a parliamentary session when a lawmaker asked if the analysis on the flight range and others had been completed.

"(If they are) fired toward the East Sea, we don't get a good visual on the bottom part using our assets. They flew farther by the pull-up," he said, referring to a more complicated "pull-up" flight maneuver rather than following the typical parabolic trajectory.

During the session, Suh also described the missiles as enhanced short-range ballistic missiles. Defense authorities had said that they were presumed to be ballistic missiles.

elly@yna.co.kr
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