SEOUL, June 20 (Reuters) North Korea will give up its missiles if the United States establishes diplomatic ties with it, North Korean leader Kim Jong-il told a South Korean minister last week, an official in the South said today.
The senior government official, who asked not to be identified, told Reuters Kim had been referring to long- and short-range missiles, some of which can reach Japan as well as South Korea.
The official said Unification Minister Chung Dong-young had given details of Kim's comments during a South Korean cabinet meeting.
Chung met Kim in the North last Friday.
Akash testfired successfully second time during the week ORISSA, June 20 (UNI) India today successfully testfiredits medium-range surface-to-air missile 'Akash' for the second timein the last three days from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) atChandipur-on-sea, about 15 km from here.
ITR sources said the missile, with a range of 25 km and considered to be one of the major milestones of the country's integrated guided missile development programme, was testfired at 1113 hrs.
Akash was earlier successfully testfired from the ITR on June 17.
Scientists at the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO)and the ITR witnessed the testfire.
The missile, possessing an advanced booster and ramjet propulsion, has multiple target handling capability.
