South Korea’s military said North Korea fired two suspected short-range ballistic missiles into the sea in its fourth weapons test this month, as Pyongyang continued a wave of missile launches that have prompted UN criticism.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea stated on Monday that the North likely fired two ballistic missiles from Sunan airport in Pyongyang’s capital, but did not indicate how far they went.
The launch was also reported by Japan’s government, which condemned it as a threat to regional peace and security.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has directed his government to do everything possible to obtain information regarding the launch and to protect the safety of ships and planes.
The Japanese Coast Guard issued a warning to vessels traveling near Japanese seas to be aware of falling objects, but no damage was recorded immediately.
The Coast Guard later stated that the North Korean projectile had landed, but did not indicate where it had fallen.
Since the beginning of the year, North Korea has conducted a succession of launches, most recently announcing last week the successful test of a hypersonic weapon witnessed by leader Kim Jong Un.
It also launched two missiles from a train on Friday.
Nuclear-armed The UN has prohibited Pyongyang from testing ballistic missiles, and denuclearisation talks have been stuck since a meeting between Kim and former US President Donald Trump collapsed in 2019 over North Korean demands for sanctions relief.
The United States is also pressing the United Nations to take tougher action against North Korea in response to the recent round of nuclear tests.
Some experts believe Kim is reverting to his old tactic of threatening the US with missile launches in order to obtain concessions.
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