North Korea fires short-range missiles in first launch in two months

SEOUL – North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast on Sept 12, South Korea’s military said, the first such launch in more than two months.

The missiles lifted off from Pyongyang at around 7.10am local time (6.10am Singapore time) and travelled about 360km before plunging into the sea, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said, without specifying how many were fired.

“We strongly condemn North Korea’s missile launch, which is a clear provocation that seriously threatens peace and stability on the Korean peninsula,” it said in a statement.

Japan’s Defence Ministry said at least two ballistic missiles from North Korea flew more than 350km, and to an altitude of about 100km.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who last week

visited Seoul to reaffirm ties with South Korea

ahead of his upcoming resignation, said Tokyo strongly condemned the launch and lodged a protest against North Korea.

“We continue to make utmost efforts for monitoring and cooperating with the US and South Korea,” Mr Kishida said.

The nuclear envoys of South Korea, Japan and the US talked by phone and called the launch a violation of United Nations resolutions, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

They also pledged to respond to any North Korean provocations.

North Korea

last fired a missile on July 1,

when it claimed to have successfully tested a new tactical ballistic missile capable of carrying a 4.5-tonne super-large warhead.

The latest launch came days after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged to produce “exponentially” more nuclear weapons and ensure they were ready for use “at any given time”.

Mr Kim in late August oversaw a test of an upgraded 240mm rocket launcher system, which “proved its superiority in mobility and strike concentration”.

He also inspected new “suicide drones” and called for the development of artificial intelligence for unmanned vehicles.

North Korea has also been

sending balloons carrying rubbish

across the border into South Korea over the last few days, a campaign that was started in May in retaliation for anti-Pyongyang leaflets flown into the country using inflatables by South Korean activists.

Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the North floated about 20 balloons late on Sept 11, but none of them had been detected in the South so far.

The Sept 12 launch might be aimed at responding to recent South Korea-US military drills or testing the missiles for export to Russia, a military spokesperson told a briefing.

North Korea faces accusations of supplying Russia with weapons, including drones and ballistic missiles, to be used in the war in Ukraine.

Ukraine and the US, among other countries, and independent analysts say Mr Kim is helping Russia in the war by supplying rockets and missiles in return for economic and other military assistance from Moscow.

Moscow and Pyongyang have denied the accusations, but pledged to boost military cooperation and signed a comprehensive strategic partnership at a summit in June. REUTERS