Seoul 9 August
The South Korean military says North Korea has fired two projectiles, believed to be short-range ballistic missiles, into the sea east of the Korean Peninsula..
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff announced the projectiles were fired at around 5:34 and 5:50 a.m. Saturday morning local time from near the eastern coastal city of Hamhung in South Hamgyong Province.
The military said it believed the projectiles were short-range ballistic missiles. They reportedly flew more than 400 kilometers reaching an altitude of about 48 kilometers.
The South Korean government called an emergency meeting of senior officials from relevant offices.
The presidential office said the launch appears to be a show of force against the ongoing US-South Korea joint military exercises. The Blue House added the action is also aimed at testing the capability of the new, domestically-developed short-range missiles.
Saturday's launch was the fifth in a series of missile flight tests by Pyongyang since July 25.
The South Korean government is urging the North to stop the launches. It says they could aggravate military tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
The South's military says it is on alert and monitoring the situation, and that further missile launches are possible.
US President Donald Trump has downplayed the launches by Pyongyang. He says they have all been short-range projectiles and do not violate North Korea's promise to refrain from testing intercontinental missiles.
There has been little progress in US-North Korea denuclearization talks since Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un agreed to resume discussions at their third summit in June.
Observers say Pyongyang is trying to gauge the US position by adopting both soft- and hard-line political tactics at the same time.
NHK
