(2nd LD) N. Korea fires nearly dozen ballistic missiles after S. Korea's dialogue offer

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES with latest details; CHANGES photos)
By Kim Seung-yeon and Kim Hyun-soo

SEOUL, Oct. 29 (Yonhap) -- North Korea fired about a dozen short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Thursday, the South Korean military said, in an apparent cold rebuff to Seoul's offer for talks aimed at easing border tensions sparked by a recent land mine blast.

The missiles were launched from the Wonsan area on the North's east coast at around 12:30 p.m. and flew about 250 kilometers, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, adding that further analysis of other specifications was under way with coordination with the United States.

The latest launch came about a week after Seoul proposed holding military talks with Pyongyang to resolve discrepancies in their border demarcations, as tensions have heightened since the Sept. 21 land mine blast that injured three South Korean soldiers.

The explosion occurred at a time when the South Korean military was looking into the North's potential breaches of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) as it fortifies its border by building fences and laying land mines.

Denying its responsibility for the mine blast, Pyongyang has issued a volley of statements accusing Seoul of shifting the blame to the regime, threatening to deploy weapons and resume loudspeaker broadcasts of anti-South propaganda along the border.

A North Korean self-propelled howitzer was spotted along the western front line of the border earlier this week, positioned far enough south to be captured by South Korean media cameras.

The South's military said the North appears to have deployed a legacy artillery piece rather than a new weapons system. A JCS official said Thursday the military regards the move as intended primarily "for show."

Thursday's missile launch came more than two weeks after Pyongyang test-fired on Oct. 12 what it claimed were tactical ballistic missiles aimed at improving a key weapons component.

The JCS said it has stepped up surveillance and remains vigilant against any potential additional launches, while maintaining a robust defense posture through close information-sharing with the United States and Japan related to the latest missile launch.

"Based on a staunch South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture, our military is closely monitoring various North Korean activities as we maintain the capability and readiness to overwhelmingly respond to any provocation," the JCS said.

sookim@yna.co.kr

elly@yna.co.kr
(END)