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Friday, June 23, 2017, 16:02
ROK's Moon inspects test-firing of home-grown ballistic missile
By Xinhua
Friday, June 23, 2017, 16:02 By Xinhua

Republic of Korea's President Moon Jae-in (second from right), watches a test launch of the Hyunmoo-2 missile at the Agency for Defense Development in Anheung, June 23, 2017. (Yonhap via AP)

SEOUL - Moon Jae-in, President of the Republic of Korea (ROK), on Friday inspected the test-firing of a home-grown ballistic missile to show the country's defense capability against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).    

The Friday test-launch of the Hyunmoo-2 missile marked the fourth successful one. Following two more tests, the ballistic missile would be deployed     

Moon visited a test site of the state-run Agency for Defense Development (ADD) in southwest ROK earlier in the day to observe the Hyunmoo-2 ballistic missile's test-launch, presidential spokesman Park Soo-hyun said.    

The Hyunmoo-2 is the ROK's indigenously developed ballistic missile with a range of 800 km. 

Moon's visit was aimed at warning against recent DPRK provocations, the spokesman said, noting that the missile is at the core of a project to incapacitate the DPRK nuclear missile threats.     

The Friday test-launch of the Hyunmoo-2 missile marked the fourth successful one. Following two more tests, the ballistic missile would be deployed.     

Moon said that though he believes dialogue, engagement and talks with the DPRK would be made possible only when the ROK has strong capability for defense and security that will overpower the DPRK.     

He added that the weapons system the ADD researchers were developing was not a tool to destroy or kill, but a measure for dialogue and peace.

The ROK Army's Hyunmoo Surface to Surface Missile is displayed during Armed Forces Day rehearsal at Seongnam military airport, outskirts of Seoul, Sept 29, 2003. (AFP PHOTO/KIM JAE-HWAN)

Meanwhile, a US official told Reuters on Thursday that the DPRK has carried out another test of a rocket engine that the United States believes could be part of its program to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile.

The United States assessed that the test, the latest in a series of engine and missile trials this year, could be for the smallest stage of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) rocket engine, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

A second US official also confirmed the test but did not provide additional details on the type of rocket component that was being tested or whether it fit into the ICBM program.

One official said he believed the test had taken place within the past 24 hours.

The DPRK's state media, which is normally quick to publicize successful missile-related developments, did not carry any reports on the engine test. 


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