NORTH KOREA TEST-FIRE FOUR SHORT-RANGE TEST MISSILES

North Korea test-fired four short-range missiles off the country's eastern coast into the Sea of Japan on 2 July 2009. The missiles were fired between 1720 and 2120 local time. Reports from South Korean news sources indicate that the North Korean military fired the first two missiles from an artillery range near the town of Wonsan, with the third and fourth being fired closer to Sinsang-ri. North Korea had warned previously that the military would be conducting live-fire tests that could affect fishing and shipping vessels in the Sea of Japan. Unconfirmed reports indicate that all four test missiles were ground-to-ship models designed to hit large naval vessels. North Korea has also threatened to test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile. U.S. and South Korean military forces have been on alert for the past several weeks in anticipation of possible missile tests in North Korea.