Korea fires seventh missile

NORTH Korea launched a seventh missile today, an official at Japan's Defence Agency told AFP, despite international protests over a series of earlier launches.

The missile was launched at 5:22 pm (1822 AEST) and landed at 5:28 pm, Kyodo news agency said.

North Korea test-fired six missiles early today, including one capable of reaching US soil, although all splashed down in the Sea of Japan (East Sea), according to US and Japanese officials.

Meanwhile, the chief of staff of Russia's armed forces, General Yury Baluyevsky, said Russian tracking systems may have identified as many as 10 missile launches by North Korea, Interfax news agency reported.

"The launch was confirmed by our tracking systems," the agency quoted Gen Baluyevsky as saying at a news conference in the far eastern Russian city of Chita.

"According to various data, 10 missiles were launched," he said. "Some say that these were missiles of various classes. However some claim that all missiles were intercontinental.

"There were missiles. However I can only specify their class after data has been obtained from the tracking systems," he said.

The United States had earlier reported detecting five confirmed missile launches and a suspected sixth missile launch. Russia, which has relatively close relations with North Korea, said earlier that it was given no advance notice from North Korea of the missile test launches, but noted that Pyongyang was not bound by any international agreements to provide such notice.

The reports of a new launch came after Foreign Minister Alexander Downer warned today that North Korea could carry out more missile tests in the coming days after the earlier tests, including one of the Taepodong-2.

The Taepodong 2 failed in flight 40 seconds after its launch.

Experts have said the Taepodong 2 has a range of between 3500km to 4500km, which would give it a range extending throughout the Asia-Pacific region as well as the US states Alaska and Hawaii.

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Mr Downer met the North Korean ambassador in Canberra to express Australia's concern and "deep disappointment" at the tests.

"I told the North Korean ambassador that we condemn the testing of missiles, that it did very much heighten concerns about security," he said.

"We think they probably do plan to launch more missiles in the next day or so."

Mr Downer said North Korea's ambassador said the tests were due to his nation feeling threatened by the US. A planned trip by an Australian official to North Korea had been cancelled, and restrictions would be placed on North Korean officials visiting Australia, Mr Downer said.

"This long-range missile could theoretically reach the United States or hit other parts of the world. It would have sufficient range to reach Australia," he said earlier on Southern Cross radio, adding that it would be unlikely for Australia to be targeted.

The United Nations Security Council will meet today over the tests, after a request from Japan and urgent talks held earlier by US ambassador to the UN John Bolton.

Japan has put its troops on high alert and its vessels are scouring the sea, looking to salvage wreckage of the missiles for analysis.

The White House has said the tests were "provocative" but were not a direct threat to the US.

The country's missile defence system, based in Alaska, California and aboard US navy ships, was on high alert in anticipation of a Taepodong-2 test, ready to try to shoot the missile down if it threatened American territory.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was planning talks with her counterparts in the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program.

Christopher Hill, the top US envoy to the talks, which also include South Korea, China, Japan and Russia, was to head to Asia today, officials said.

NATO condemned North Korea's test-firing of at least six missiles including a long-range weapon today, saying the move threatened the stability of the region and beyond.

"We regret and condemn this launch," ambassadors of the 26-country Western alliance said in a statement.

"(This) poses a serious threat to the region and the international community at large," it said, calling on North Korea to desist from any further long-range missile launches.

It urged North Korea to return immediately to six-party talks on its nuclear program that have been stalled since November.

The European Commission also denounced the North Korean action. "We strongly condemn the missile test launches," spokeswoman Emma Udwin told a news briefing in Brussels.

Indonesia said it would send a special envoy to North Korea today with a message from Jakarta, a presidential spokesman said.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is due to visit North Korea later this month.

Indonesia has previously offered to play a role in diplomatic efforts directed at Pyongyang.

"There are two aims. First, to prepare for a visit by the president to North Korea and the second is to send some message from the president related with recent developments," spokesman Dino Patti Djalal said.

'Provocative'

Prime Minister John Howard condemned the launches.

"This development is very provocative and runs completely counter to the interests of North Korea and the interests of the whole region," he said on ABC radio.

"Nobody wants hostilities to break out over this and it has been the aim of Australia and it has certainly been the aim of the United States to solve this matter diplomatically."

With AFP, Reuters and AAP