North Korea has sparked international criticism with its decision to test fire a short-range ballistic missile on the eve of Thursday's planned visit by UN nuclear inspectors to its Yongbyon nuclear facility. South Korean news agency Yonhap citing government sources reported that the communist state carried out the test, the latest in a series of missile launches believed to form part of North Korean military exercises, on Wednesday over the Sea of Japan, dpa reported. The United States said it was "deeply troubled" by the test, Japanese news agency Kyodo reported citing a US National Security Council spokesman. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called on Pyongyang to suspend its missile test programme. Meanwhile a four-member delegation from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was on Thursday en route to the Yongbyon nuclear facility, located 130 kilometres from Pyongyang, to discuss its agreed closure. Delegation leader and IAEA deputy director Olli Heinonen said that the inspectors intended to return to Pyongyang on Friday, China's state news agency Xinhua reported. The IAEA inspectors have since Tuesday been negotiating with North Korean officials on the closure of the Yongbyon plant, which was agreed in February as part of the six-party talks process - involving the US, North and South Korea, China, Russia and Japan - in return for energy and economic aid. South Korea's Defence Ministry was unable to verify the rocket test reports, a spokesman in Seoul said. In a statement however the ministry said that the recent rocket launches off the country's east and west coasts had involved new missiles still in the development phase, with a range of 100 kilometres. North Korea has reportedly carried out short-range missile tests on May 25, June 7 and June 19.
