South Korea Says It Has New Missile

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/20/world/asia/south-korea-confirms-deployment-of-cruise-missile.html?_r=1&ref=world

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea said Thursday that it had developed and deployed a new cruise missile capable of a precision strike anywhere in North Korea.

Although it had been widely reported that South Korea had developed its Hyunmoo series of cruise missiles with a range of up to 930 miles, it was the first time that the government had publicly confirmed the deployment of such a missile and released video of it hitting a target during a test launching.

The disclosure came just days after North Korea launched a long-range rocket to put a satellite into orbit. Although the rocket failed, the United States and its allies condemned the launching as a cover for developing intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of eventually carrying nuclear weapons.

The North followed that test with the display on Sunday of what looked like a powerful new missile during a military parade. Weapons experts who have pored over photographs of what appeared to be a launcher for the missile have said that it might have come from China, and that if true, China might have violated United Nations sanctions to keep the North from developing its missile program.