A South Korean Defense Ministry official has confirmed to VOA that North Korea test fired a short-range missile Monday, hours before announcing the death of Kim Jong-IL. But the official says the test was probably not related to the North Korean leader's death.

The missile test confirmation came shortly after South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported a launch off the secretive communist state's east coast.

The North periodically test fires short-range missiles into coastal waters as part of routine military trainings.

Yonhap said Pyongyang test-fired a short-range missile off its western coast in June. The news agency reported the launch of that KN-06 missile was aimed at measuring the missile's increased range.