North Korea launches multiple ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan
Japan puts North Korean missile flight distances at about 220km and 910km as Japan, the United States and South Korea examine possible irregular trajectories.
- North Korea launched at least two ballistic missiles of various types into the Sea of Japan from near its capital, Pyongyang.
- The missiles traveled distances of approximately 220 and 910 kilometers, landing outside of Japan's exclusive economic zone, and may have flown on irregular trajectories.
- Japan and South Korea condemned the launch as a threat to regional stability and a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
- The launch is believed to be a response to South Korea's recent test of a hypersonic missile.
Japan and South Korea criticised North Korea’s latest missile firing on Monday (October 12).
South Korea’s military reported that various ballistic missile types were launched from near Pyongyang into the Sea of Japan at about 9.20am, with some travelling over 900 kilometres.
At a Tokyo press conference, Takashi Koyari, Japan’s state minister of defence, said North Korea had fired at least two missiles.
Their estimated flight distances were about 220 and 910 kilometres, and their corresponding altitudes about 20 and 70 kilometres.
The missiles landed outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
Japan, the United States and South Korea were examining the North Korean missiles’ flights in detail, Koyari said.
The minister noted that the weapons “may have flown on irregular trajectories”.
“Including repeated launches so far, a series of North Korean actions threaten the peace and safety of Japan, the region and the international community,” Koyari stressed.
South Korea’s presidential office called North Korea’s launches breaches of relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and argued they did not support stability on the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea’s latest firing likely expressed opposition to South Korea’s first hypersonic missile test, a South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff official told reporters.
South Korea had conducted its test after a similar North Korean test on October 3.
The South Korean military blamed North Korea for planting a mine that exploded near the military demarcation line and injured three soldiers.
Pyongyang challenged that report last week.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
