국정원 "北, 8월 미사일 추가 시험발사 가능성"

South Korea's intel agency believes there could be more weapons tests by the regime.
It's thought this would be an act of protest against Seoul's joint military drills with Washington, as well as introduction of advanced fighter jets.
Kim Mok-yeon turns the spotlight to this analysis.
South Korea's National Intelligence Service says it's keeping close tabs on any additional weapons testing by North Korea this month.
After attending parliament's intelligence committee meeting on Thursday,... main opposition Liberty Korea Party lawmaker Lee Eun-jae quoted Suh Hoon the chief of the NIS as saying that there remains a possibility of more missile tests, as the North seeks to improve its missile capabilities and voice its complaints.
"The NIS said that the North could launch another missile test in August. The reason could be because of South Korea's introduction of F-35 stealth fighter jets and planned joint military drills with the U.S."
According to Lee, the NIS also thinks that that there seems to be a practical need for Pyeongyang to speed up the development of its weapons system before resuming denuclearization talks with the U.S.
On Wednesday's launches, ruling Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Min-ki quoted the NIS as saying that what the North fired had characteristics similar to short-ranged ballistic missiles, but more analysis is underway.
"The NIS said the projectile test-fired by North Korea on July 31st flew some 250 kilometers at an altitude of 30 kilometers, and that its flight data resembles a new type of short-range ballistic missile. But since North Korea announced that it was a
new multiple rocket launcher instead, the intelligence agency said they are conducting further analysis."
"As for developments regarding Jo Song-gil,... a former North Korean envoy to Italy who disappeared last November,... the intelligence agency reportedly said that he has left Rome and is under protection "somewhere else" without revealing the details."
Kim Mok-yeon, Arirang News.