N. Korea fires fifth missile in three days

SEOUL: North Korea fired a fifth short-range missile into the Sea of Japan on Monday, defying warnings from UN chief Ban Ki-moon and South Korea after a flurry of similar tests at the weekend.

The latest firing -- the fifth in three days -- was confirmed by a spokesman for the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, who said it was unclear if the North was testing guided missiles or rockets from multiple launchers.

Such drills are not unusual but they come as the Korean peninsula is only just emerging from a period of particularly elevated military tensions triggered by the North's nuclear test in February.

Hours after Monday's firing, Pyongyang issued a statement angrily rejecting criticism that the missile exercises were a deliberate attempt to kick off a fresh cycle of tensions.

"Military training ... is the indisputable right of any sovereign nation," the North's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea said in a statement.

"Viciously taking issue with our military's rocket firing training ... is an unacceptable challenge and a wanton provocation," the statement said.

North Korea fired three short-range guided missiles off its east coast on Saturday and another on Sunday.

South Korea had labelled the weekend tests "deplorable", while UN chief Ban Ki-moon urged Pyongyang to exercise restraint.

"It is time for them to resume dialogue and lower the tensions," Ban said in Moscow on Sunday.

North Korea argues that the real provocation is coming from South Korea and the United States, which have carried out a series of small and large-scale joint military drills in recent months.

The joint exercises have included the use of nuclear-capable B2 stealth bombers and, most recently, the participation of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz.

After the North's latest missile firing on Monday, South President Park Geun-Hye's top security advisor, Kim Jang-Soo, again urged Pyongyang to desist from any more drills.

"Whether it's just a test or a show of force, the North should not get involved in actions that create tension," Kim said. (AFP)