North Korea fires two missiles off east coast: Seoul
Friday, 28 October 2022 (14:47 IST)
North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) toward its eastern waters, South Korea's military said on Friday.
The launch comes just four days after Pyongyang and Seoul exchanged warning shots off the west coast amid escalating military tension.
What's the latest?
South Korea's military said it had "detected two ballistic missiles fired from the Tongchon area in Gangwon between 1159 (0259 GMT) and 1218," it said, referring to a province on North's east coast.
"Our military has increased monitoring and surveillance and is maintaining a full readiness posture in close coordination with the US," Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
The US Indo Pacific Command said the launches did not pose an immediate threat to the US or its allies but pointed out the "destabilizing impact'' of Pyongyang's illicit nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.
Friday's launch is the latest in a flurry of weapons tests by North Korea in recent weeks.
It also came on the last day of Seoul's annual 12-day "Hoguk'' field exercises, which included an unspecified number of United States soldiers this year.
The South Korean and US air forces also have plans to start a large-scale training next week.
From short range missiles to its intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), Pyongyang has test fired everything in what has been a record year of missile launches.
North Korea says the recent missile launches were in protest against the joint drills, which it deems provocative and a rehearsal for an invasion.
Seoul and Washington say the exercises are defensive and needed to counter threats from the North.
Why are tensions high?
On Tuesday, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said the North was preparing to conduct another nuclear test, which would be its seventh.
"It appears they have already completed preparations for a seventh nuclear test," he told parliament during a budget address.
Later on Wednesday, the US, Japan and South Korea said that a North Korean nuclear test would warrant an "unprecedentedly strong response", vowing unity between the regional security allies.
The United Nations Security Council has been split on responding to North Korea’s nuclear ambitions for months, with Russia and China on the sympathetic side and the rest of the members urging for punishment.
