Reports: North Korea issues no-sail zone off west coast, a possible prelude to missile tests

Reports: NKorea issues no-sail zone off west coast

SEOUL, South Korea — News reports say North Korea has issued a no-sail zone off the west coast, an indication the country may be preparing to conduct missile tests.

YTN television network cited an unnamed South Korean military official as saying the no-sail zone was designated south of the disputed western sea border Tuesday — in South Korean-held waters.

Yonhap news agency carried a similar report, saying South Korea’s military was trying to find if the designation was a prelude to missile tests or just part of routine military training.

South Korea’s Defense Ministry says it is trying to confirm the reports.

The two Koreas are still technically at war because their 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, with their navies fighting a brief-yet-bloody battle near the western sea border in November.