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North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters on Friday, its latest weapons demonstration that came days after US and South Korean warplanes conducted joint drills that North Korea views as an invasion rehearsal.
North Korea has conducted an unprecedented number of missile tests this year in what some experts call an attempt to bolster its weapons capability and pressure its rivals to make concessions such as sanctions relief in future negotiations. Recently, the North also claimed to have performed major tests needed to acquire its first spy satellite and a more mobile intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the US mainland.
South Korea’s military detected the two missile launches from North Korea’s capital region at around 4:32 pm on Friday. Japan said it also confirmed at least one missile launch by North Korea.
It wasn’t immediately clear exactly what kinds of missiles North Korea fired. South Korea’s military said the missiles travelled about 250 kilometres (155 miles) and 350 kilometres (220 miles) respectively before landing in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.
Japanese Vice Defence Minister Toshiro Ino said that one missile detected by Japan flew as far as 300 kilometres (180 miles) at a maximum altitude of 50 kilometres (30 miles).
He said that missile might have showed an irregular trajectory, a possible reference to North Korea’s highly maneuverable, nuclear-capable KN-23 missile, which was modeled on Russia’s Iskander missile.
South Korea’s military called the launches a grave provocation that hurts international peace.
