February 26, 2003	Wednesday	Zul Hijjah 24, 1423

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SEOUL, Feb 25: North Korea fired a short-range missile into the Sea of Japan, rattling Asian financial markets and fraying nerves as US Secretary of State Colin Powell campaigned for support for the US approach over the North’s nuclear weapons drive.

Military authorities in Japan and South Korea said North Korea had launched an anti-ship missile on Monday from a northeastern coastal area into the Sea of Japan.

A US administration official said Washington believes “this was a launch of a shorter-range tactical missile”, not a ballistic one.

The missile launch came hours before the inauguration of Roh Moo-Hyun as South Korean president. Mr Roh met Mr Powell following the ceremony.

Powell played down the significance of the missile launch, repeating the US rejection of the Pyonhyang’s demand for direct dialogue with Washington.

“It seems to be a fairly innocuous kind of test,” Powell said, noting that North Korea had advised mariners of the possibility of such an event.

“I didn’t find it particularly surprising or shocking or disturbing,” said Powell, as the US State Department announced details of the resumption of food aid to North Korea.

Reports of the missile launch, however, dragged down share prices in South Korea, Australia, Taiwan, Japan and Hong Kong.

North Korea agreed to a moratorium after it caused international alarm in 1998 when it test-fired a ballistic missile that flew over northeastern Japan into the Pacific Ocean. But North Korea, which has developed a thriving missile industry, warned recently it could strike US targets anywhere in the world.

During their first summit in Seoul, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and President Roh agreed to peacefully resolve the crisis over North Korea’s suspected nuclear weapons.

“The two countries agreed that this matter should be resolved in a peaceful manner,” a spokesman for Koizumi said after a summit between the two leaders.

South Korea and the United States are at odds over how to deal with the nuclear standoff, with Roh opposing the hardline US policy.

In his inaugural speech, Roh urged North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions, spelling out the benefits Pyongyang can expect to receive in international recognition, support and aid if it renounces its weapons drive.

“It is up to Pyongyang whether to go ahead and obtain nuclear weapons or to get guarantees for the security of its regime and international economic support,” he said.

Powell said he believed that Roh now understood and accepted the US approach to dealing with North Korea.

“President Roh understands our position with respect to doing it on a multilateral basis,” he said after talks with Roh. “I think that I can say that he supports that approach.”

Powell said the United States would resume suspended food assistance to the North. The State Department said the resumption in food aid was not connected with the nuclear situation.

On the missile launch, Japanese foreign minister Yoriko Kawaguchi called on North Korea for calm. Japanese officials admitted Tokyo had first learnt of the missile launch. The missile launch “would not contribute to the easing of regional tensions”, Kawaguchi said.

“We will urge North Korea to take positive action for the sake of easing tensions and peace and stability.”

A Japanese defence agency source reportedly said North Korea fired two missiles, believed to be China-developed Silkworms, at different times on Monday, but one of them failed.—AFP