North Korea Fires Missiles Over No Sail Zone

[XXPANTHAXX]

North Korea has fired five short-range missiles off its east coast and
declared a 'no sail' zone in the area until October 20, South Korean
reports have said.

Yonhap news agency, quoting a government source, said Pyongyang had
warned fishing boats to stay clear of parts of its coast - suggesting
more possible launches.

The missiles, the first fired in about three months, came as the North
said it is ready to return to international talks on its controversial
nuclear programme.

It was not clear whether the latest launches were routine military
exercises.

But they coincided with reports that America is planning to send its
aircraft carrier USS George Washington to the South Korean port of Busan
on Tuesday.

The reclusive North has hundreds of short-range range missiles.

They have the ability to strike the South Korean capital Seoul and its
sprawling urban surroundings, which are home to about 25 million people.

A nuclear test in May and a spate of missile tests around the same time
triggered a tightening of sanctions against Pyongyang.

Analysts have said the North's desperate economic problems are partly
behind its recent attempts to get on better terms with the outside
world.

A UN resolution bans North Korea from launching ballistic missiles.

But there are no international agreements that bar it from
test-launching short-range missiles.