North Korea Fires Multiple Ballistic Missiles, Adding to Streak of Weapons Tests
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Monday fired multiple ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters, South Korea’s military said, adding to a recent streak of weapons demonstrations that has heightened tensions during a prolonged freeze in diplomacy.
On Monday, North Korea carried out multiple ballistic missile launches from a location near its capital, Pyongyang, according to South Korea’s military. These weapons tests, which have increased tensions amid a prolonged diplomatic stalemate, involved various types of missiles, with one reportedly traveling over 900 kilometers before landing in the sea.
Japan’s Deputy Defense Minister revealed that Japan detected at least two missiles, launched 17 minutes apart, with the first traveling about 220 kilometers and the second exceeding 910 kilometers before landing outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone. No damage was reported from these launches. North Korea continues to ramp up its weapons testing as it seeks to bolster its arsenal of nuclear-capable systems, including a hypersonic intermediate-range missile test on October 3.
This missile is designed to evade missile defenses in South Korea and Japan. Meanwhile, North Korea has conducted other missile tests, live-fire drills, and commissioned a new warship, all part of leader Kim Jong Un's ongoing display of nuclear capabilities while rejecting offers for renewed diplomacy. South Korea recently conducted its own hypersonic weapon test, further fueling the region's heightened tensions.
The South Korean military called for North Korea to cease its ballistic missile launches, which violate U.N. Security Council resolutions and offer no solution to the current situation on the Korean Peninsula. Japan also lodged a protest to North Korea through their embassies in Beijing. The situation has been exacerbated by recent land mine explosions near the inter-Korean border, blamed on North Korea but denied by Pyongyang, leading to South Korea's soldiers being injured.
This ongoing conflict marks a significant setback in long-stalled nuclear negotiations between North Korea and the U.S.
Written by urgent.news from The Japan News by The Yomiuri Shimbun's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
