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N. Korea's new missile not capable of reaching Guam: Seoul military

TOKYO, May 22 (KUNA) -- South Korea's military said Monday that North Korea's newly developed missile is seen as a medium-range ballistic missile with a range of up to 2,500 kilometers, according to Yonhap News Agency.
It means the missile, called the Pukguksong-2, cannot reach Guam, about 3,500 km away from the North. Guam is a refueling and staging hub for the US military operations in East Asia. It's also home to several US strategic bombers, it said.
"It's believed to be a medium-range ballistic missile in terms of the flight distance when launched at a normal angle," Army Col. Roh Jae-cheon, spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), told reporters in Seoul.
An mid-range ballistic missile is said to have a range of 800-2,500 km. Roh's comments came after the North's assertion that its latest missile test Sunday afternoon was successful.
Fired from a site northeast of Pyongyang, the missile soared to some 560 km and traveled more than 500 km before landing in the East Sea (Sea of Japan). Asked if the Pukguksong-2 is presumed to be capable of striking Guam, the JCS official said, it seems like the North is not there yet, citing an analysis by related authorities in Seoul.
The North's media said the test of the Pukguksong-2 missile using solid fuel was conducted under the guidance of leader Kim Jong-un. He was quoted as telling the military to put the missile into actual operation.
"Saying with pride that the missile's rate of hits is very accurate and Pukguksong-2 is a successful strategic weapon, he approved the deployment of this weapon system for action," the Korean Central News Agency said. (end) mk.mt