South Korea says North Korean missiles can hit key targets

The modified Scud-C versions have a range of up to 370 miles (600 kilometers), which could hit most of South Korea. Rodong missiles, meanwhile, have a range of up to 800 miles (1,300 kilometers), putting most parts of Japan within striking distance.

Yonhap said, however, that the range of the Rodong missiles launched Saturday had been reduced apparently to improve accuracy.

The agency also said the North is believed to have deployed 200-300 Scud missiles and 200 Rodong missiles, with many of the Scud missiles positioned near the border with South Korea and capable of reaching the Seoul metropolitan area within four to six minutes. Yonhap said some experts thought the North has 500 to 600 Scuds.

The launches on U.S. Independence Day appeared to be a poke at Washington as it moves to enforce U.N. as well as its own sanctions against the isolated regime for its May 25 nuclear test.

Another South Korean Defense Ministry official said no signs of additional missile launches had been detected, but more were possible given North Korea warned ships to stay away from the area through July 10. He also spoke on condition of anonymity citing department policy.

The North has engaged in a series of acts this year widely seen as provocative. It fired a long-range rocket it said was a satellite in early April, and in late May it carried out its second underground nuclear test following the first in late 2006.

Japan is considering expanding its missile defense shield by introducing a new ground-based mobile interceptor, the Tokyo-based Mainichi newspaper reported Sunday without citing sources.

The report said Japan's Defense Ministry is mulling whether to purchase the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, a program designed to shoot down ballistic missiles in their last stage of flight. Calls to the Defense Ministry went unanswered Sunday.

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