North Korea stays mum over suspected multiple missile launches

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un / AP-Yonhap

North Korea's state media remained silent Monday on the country's apparent test-firing of multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) the previous day.

On Sunday, the North fired four projectiles that were suspected to come from MLRS that fell into the Yellow Sea from an unspecified location in South Pyongan Province, according to South Korean military officials.

The North's official media, including the Korean Central News Agency and the Rodong Sinmun newspaper, did not carry any reports on the launches Monday morning amid a view that it seems to have been part of the country's ongoing wintertime military training.

They usually report on major missile launches and new weapons tests, if presumed successful, the next morning.

Pyongyang's state-controlled media also kept quiet on a suspected failed missile launch last week.

Meanwhile, Seoul's Ministry of Unification, which handles inter-Korean affairs, said it will continue efforts for the stable management of the peninsula's situation and thorough preparations to respond to "all possibilities."

"(We) once again urge North Korea to immediately stop unilateral actions that create tensions and go counter to the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula, and to choose the path of dialogue and cooperation that we and the international community have proposed," ministry spokesperson Lee Jong-joo told a regular press briefing.

She stressed "mutual respect" is the basis for the development of inter-Korean ties, as this has been agreed on between the two Koreas several times, answering a question on North Korean propaganda outlets' criticism of the South. (Yonhap)