Seoul to limit inter-Korean exchanges after North’s rocket launch

South Korea will consider limiting inter-Korean exchanges, a Seoul official said Thursday, a day after North Korea fired off a long-range rocket in defiance of the international community’s warnings. “The North’s missile launch is a grave issue, which cannot be easily overlooked,” the official of the Unification Ministry said. “(The ministry) has decided to carefully control North Korean visits (by South Koreans) and South-North exchange issues.” Many South Koreans, mostly aid group workers and religious leaders, visit the communist country under the approval of the ministry as part of inter-Korean exchanges, according to South Korea’s News Agency (Yonhap). Early Wednesday, the North fired off what it called a rocket carrying a “working satellite”, which the international community sees as a cover for the country’s test of rocket technology used for long-range ballistic missiles.