North Korea test-launched two short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast, South Korea’s military said on Tuesday.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the missiles were fired at the “East Sea,” referring to the body of water also known as the Sea of Japan.
Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he is aware of the report and collecting more information.
The report comes a day after North Korea said it fired two cruise missiles from a submarine as part of a test.
Freedom Shield drills begin
On Monday, the United States and South Korea kicked off 11 days of joint military exercises known as Freedom Shield 23. They are the largest drills held by the two nations in five years.
North Korea views these drills as rehearsal for invasion and said on Sunday that it will embark on “important practical” war deterrence measures.
Analysts have previoysly said that North Korea would likely use the drills as an excuse to carry out more missile launches and perhaps even a nuclear test.
“More missile launches with variations in style and scope should be expected, with even a nuclear test. More acts of intimidation from North Korea should not come as a surprise,” Chun In-bum, a retired South Korean army general, told the AFP news agency.
zc/rt (AP, AFP, Reuters)
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