North Korea fired multiple unidentified ballistic missiles into the East Sea on Sunday, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
According to the military, the launches were conducted from the Sinpo area in South Hamgyong Province. The missiles flew about 140 kilometers.
Further details such as the missiles' specifications are under analysis, the JCS said, adding that Seoul is maintaining close cooperation with the US and Japan regarding the North’s ballistic missile activities.
Following the launch, the presidential national security council held a meeting with the Ministry of National Defense and the military, and called on North Korea to halt provocations that violate UN Security Council resolutions.
“Our military is closely monitoring North Korea’s activities under a firm combined defense posture and maintains overwhelming capabilities and readiness to respond to any provocation," the Defense Ministry said.
“North Korea’s ballistic missile launch is a clear violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions; it must immediately halt its repeated missile provocations that escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula, and engage in efforts to establish peace."
The latest launch came 11 days after the North’s previous ballistic missile test on April 8, when it fired missiles twice in a single day — once in the morning and again in the afternoon — into the East Sea.
A day earlier, on April 7, the North also launched an unidentified projectile that was believed to have failed shortly after liftoff.
North Korea has carried out multiple ballistic missile launches this year, including tests on Jan. 4, Jan. 27 and March 14.
Sunday’s launch marked the North’s seventh ballistic missile test of the year.
flylikekite@heraldcorp.com
