N. Korea fires missiles in 4th of July salvo

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korea's weekend missile launches show the communist country is improving its capability and accuracy and are a cause for concern, officials said today.

North Korea launched seven ballistic missiles into waters off its east coast Saturday in a show of military firepower that defied U.N. resolutions and drew international condemnation and concern. It also fired four short-range missiles Thursday believed to be cruise missiles.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency - citing a South Korean government source it did not identify - reported that five of the seven ballistic missiles landed in the same area, indicating their accuracy has improved.

Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said North Korea's capabilities were getting better.

"If you look at their most recent efforts, the most worrying thing is not their current capacity in terms of distance or scope but how they have improved," he told the Nine Network on Sunday.

"We have seen improvements regrettably in their technology and their approach," he said, emphasizing the latest missile tests were clearly a provocative act aimed at the U.S.

Saturday's launches on U.S. Independence Day appeared to be a slap 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.

An official, speaking on condition of anonymity citing department policy, said the Defense Ministry was investigating the launches and it would take about a week to complete an analysis.

He also said no signs of additional launches had been detected, but more were possible given North Korea warned ships to stay away from the area through July 10.