New Delhi: North Korea fired two suspected short-range ballistic missiles into waters off its eastern coast on Sunday, launching the weapons roughly three
hours apart, South Korea’s military said.
The first missile was detected at around 3 pm local time after being launched from the Wonsan area on North Korea’s east coast, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). It travelled approximately 450 km towards the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan.
A second missile was launched from the same area at around 5:50 pm. South Korea said it flew more than 600 km before landing in the sea. Seoul and Washington were conducting a detailed analysis to determine the precise specifications of the two weapons.
Japanese authorities also assessed the projectiles as ballistic missiles. Japanese broadcaster NHK reported that the first projectile fell outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
South Korean and US intelligence agencies tracked the launches from an early stage and shared information with Japan, the JCS said. The United States also said there was no immediate threat to US personnel, territory or allies from the launches.
South Korea’s National Security Office held an emergency meeting after the first launch and reviewed the country’s response posture. Seoul condemned the missile activity and called on Pyongyang to halt such launches, saying North Korea’s ballistic missile tests violate UN Security Council resolutions.
Launches follow North Korean warning over US-led drills
The latest missile tests came about a week after North Korea fired several short-range missiles on September 12. Pyongyang later described those launches as part of a live-fire drill involving artillery and missile units.
Sunday’s launches also followed sharp criticism from Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, over US-led military activities in the region. She had condemned the multinational Pacific Vanguard maritime exercise and warned that Pyongyang would respond to what it considers hostile military actions.
North Korea has repeatedly described joint military exercises involving the United States, South Korea and Japan as rehearsals for an invasion. Washington, Seoul and Tokyo maintain that their exercises are aimed at strengthening deterrence and readiness.
The timing of Sunday’s launches also puts them ahead of a planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week. The launches come as Pyongyang continues to expand its nuclear and missile capabilities while resisting calls for denuclearisation.
As of Monday, North Korean state media had not publicly commented on Sunday’s launches. Pyongyang has in recent months become less consistent in reporting its missile tests, sometimes announcing launches days later or not reporting them at all.
