South Korea succeeded in test-firing ballistic missiles capable of striking all parts of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) under the revised missile guideline with the United States, Seoul's Defense Ministry said Friday.

Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok told a press briefing that the military test-fired ballistic missiles with a range of 500 km last month, noting the firing was successful.

The state-funded Agency for Defense Development (ADD) tested the newly developed ballistic missiles on March 23 in Taean, the southwestern coastal county in South Chungcheong Province.

Three days after the test-firing, the DPRK fired two Rodong medium-range ballistic missiles, which can fly as far as 1,300 km carrying nuclear warhead, causing censures from the UN Security Council that banned Pyongyang from testing ballistic missile technology.

South Korea's efforts to develop longer range of missiles lasted after Seoul and Washington revised their missile guideline in October 2012 amid the heightening missile and nuclear threats from the DPRK.

Pyongyang conducted its third nuclear test in February 2013, two months after firing the three-stage rocket called Unha-3, which Seoul claimed was a long-range missile.

Under the revised deal, South Korea was allowed to extend the maximum range of ballistic missiles from 300 km to 800 km. The country was currently operating 300 km range of Hyunmoo ballistic missiles.

The new missiles with a range of 500 km and a payload of 1 ton will reportedly be deployed next year. The South Korean military also planned to develop new ballistic missiles with a range of 800 km, Kim said.

The spokesman said Seoul and Washington shared views that the maximum range should be extended to 800 km to enable South Korea to strike the most dangerous weapons location and military installations of the DPRK in times of emergency.

The DPRK was known to have various ranges of ballistic missiles that can strike South Korea, Japan and the Pacific bases of the United States.

Those included Scud missiles with a 300-550 km range and Rodong missiles with a 1,000-1,300 km range as well as Musudan missiles with a range of as long as 3,000 km.

Pyongyang was reportedly developing intercontinental ballistic missiles which can reach as far as 10,000 km. Endi

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