Pyongyang tested two ballistic missiles in waters off the country's coast, direct at South Korea and Japan, which are aligned with the US. According to the Seoul Joint Chiefs of Staff, the launches were carried out in the Munchon area of Kangwon Province.
North Korea Stages Two Ballistic Missile Test
The projectiles had been launched between 1:47 a.m. and 1:53 a.m. Toshiro Ino, Japan's State Minister of Defense, claimed it was Sunday local time, reported CNN.
According to Ino, these two ballistic missiles hit a region just outside the Exclusive Economic Zone of Japan.
After Pyongyang initiated a missile launch on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a stark warning remarked ABC 57: "It will simply ramp up the denunciation, keep increasing the isolation, and escalate the actions that are taken as a reaction to their activities."
The official said the initial missile traveled as far as 350 kilometers and as high as 100 kilometers. Another missile has flown just as far.
The defense ministry is still investigating the specific details and attempting to figure out what type of missiles were used, along with the potential that these were submarine-launched ballistic missiles, pointing out that there are no claims of any harm to vessels at sea.
Based on the joint chiefs of staff of South Korea, the armed services have enhanced their monitoring and awareness while preserving a comprehensive readiness posture and collaborating with the US.
North Korea's 25th Missile Test
According to CNN's tally, it is the 25th missile test of North Korea this year, which includes both ballistic and cruise missiles. The last launch took place Thursday when North Korea shot two short-range ballistic missiles. It was the latest in a recent rash of tests in the past two weeks, citing 9News.
The Japanese Coast Guard recommended that ships take the threat seriously and stay clear of any objects that had dropped into the water. Moreover, it demanded that vessels disclose any pertinent information.
Seoul said that North Korea violated the UNSC resolution and asked Kim Jong Un to stop such activities. Seoul claimed its military officials were maintaining an authoritarian state of readiness and closely monitoring North Korea's movements alongside the US.
Last Tuesday, another missile was launched with no warning that went over and overshot the Japanese territories, prompting an alarm from authorities.
According to sources, the projectile is believed to have landed in the Pacific Ocean after flying over the northern part of Japan early on Tuesday morning. As was noted, a missile was fired so close to the Japanese islands in 2017.
On Saturday, the US Indo-Pacific Command said that the test launch posed no threats to the impacted areas. Pyongyang decided to fire two ballistic missiles to send a message to South Korea and Japan over the prevailing political conditions in their immediate region.
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