ARIRANG NEWS 16:00 North Korea fires 7 surface-to-air missiles into East Sea

ARIRANG NEWS 16:00 Good to see you again. I′m Laah Hyun-kyung in Seoul. You′re watching Arirang News. Title: North Korea fires 7 surface-to-air missiles into East Sea We start with North Korea. South Korea′s Joint Chiefs of Staff says... Pyongyang fired off seven surface-to-air missiles into the East Sea on Thursday afternoon. Officials say the launch is likely to have been in protest against the ongoing South Korea-U.S. military drills... and that they were fired from Seondok, South Hamkyong Province. One official reportedly noted... that the Joint Chiefs of Staff believes North Korean leader Kim Jong-un observed the launch. The South Korean military has upped its readiness for additional provocations from the North and, through the ongoing drills, is seeking to strengthen its military alliance with Washington. Title: Tensions brewing over N. Korea′s unilateral wage hike at inter-Korean industrial park South Korea has been asking North Korea to talk about the regime′s unilateral decision to increase wages for workers at the inter-Korean Kaesong industrial complex. With Pyongyang saying the hike was legitimate,… some observers say this could lead to another shutdown at the factory zone. Arirang′s Connie Kim has more. Tensions are brewing over the Kaesong Industrial Complex as South Korea′s offered deadline for talks over North Korea′s unilateral decision to raise workers′ wages at the complex expires on Friday. Last month, North Korea decided to up its workers′ minimum monthly wage by five-percent to 74 U.S. dollars. To this announcement, South Korea remained firm calling on the North to come forward for discussions over wages. Seoul also said that,... unless the two sides reach an agreement,... it would penalize South Korean companies complying with the wage hike. South Korean operators at Kaesong have expressed concerns that a wage increase could affect their business. But a day before the deadline, Pyongyang said the wage hike is a legitimate and normal exercise of its legislative rights, adding that it has no intention of negotiating with Seoul over its decision. Some worry the tug-of-war could lead to a shutdown similar to what happened in 2013, but others say Pyongyang has too much to lose for another halt. "North Korea is trying to get the upper hand over Seoul in regards to decisions at the Kaesong Complex. It may also be trying to earn more foreign currency by enforcing the wage hike." Since opening in 2004, the Kaesong Industrial Complex has been a symbol of inter-Korean economic cooperation and a significant source of income for the North. Experts forecast inter-Korean talks over wages at Kaesong could start once the joint South Korea-U.S. military drills wrap up in April. Connie Kim, Arirang News. Title: South Korea and U.S. wrap up Key Resolve war game South Korea and the U.S. wrapped up one part of their annual joint military exercises taking place this month. Key Resolve is the one t