North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea off its eastern coast on Sunday, South Korea’s military said, in the country’s second reported missile test in about a week. The launches came amid renewed tensions over North Korea’s nuclear programme and military exercises involving the United States, South Korea and Japan.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the first missile was launched from the Wonsan area at about 3pm local time and travelled approximately 450 kilometres towards the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan. A second missile was launched from the same area at around 5:50pm and flew more than 600 kilometres.
South Korean and US authorities were tracking the launches from the initial stage and sharing information with Japan, according to Seoul’s military. Japan’s Defence Ministry also detected the launches, with the projectiles reported to have fallen into the sea outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
South Korea’s presidential National Security Office held an emergency security meeting following the first launch. Seoul called on Pyongyang to immediately halt its ballistic missile activity, describing the launches as violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Japan also lodged a protest with North Korea through diplomatic channels. Japanese officials said the missile launches threatened regional peace and security.
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The latest North Korea missile launches came days after Pyongyang rejected criticism of its nuclear programme from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). North Korea said the IAEA resolution had no impact on what it described as its status as a nuclear weapons state.
North Korean officials have increasingly described the country’s nuclear status as permanent and irreversible. Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un, has also said Pyongyang will continue strengthening its nuclear deterrent and blamed US-led military activities for worsening tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
The launches followed another weapons test on September 12, when North Korea fired several ballistic missiles towards the East Sea. That activity came after a US-led maritime exercise involving South Korea and Japan, which Pyongyang had criticised as a provocation.
North Korea has continued to expand its weapons capabilities despite diplomatic efforts to revive dialogue with Washington. US President Donald Trump has previously expressed interest in meeting Kim Jong Un, while Pyongyang has continued to demand an end to what it describes as hostile US policies.
The latest missile launches therefore add to a series of military demonstrations by Pyongyang as tensions remain elevated on the Korean Peninsula. South Korea has maintained close coordination with the United States and Japan in monitoring North Korean weapons activity, while Seoul has continued to call for an end to ballistic missile launches.
