North Korea fired two ballistic missiles on Sunday after a series of recent launches.
North Korea fired two ballistic missiles on Sunday. This is the seventh such launch by Pyongyang in recent days that added to widespread alarm in the US and its allies in Japan and South Korea.
Both missiles reached an altitude of 100 km (60 miles) and covered a range of 350 km, Japan’s state minister of defence, Toshiro Ino, told reporters, according to Reuters.
The first was fired at around 1:47 am, local time (1647 GMT) and the second one some six minutes later.
In response to the missile launch by North Korea, Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Saturday issued an emergency alert.
Meanwhile, the US military said it was closely consulting with allies and partners following the launches, which it said highlighted the “destabilizing impact” of the North Korean nuclear arms and ballistic missile programs, Reuters reported.
The latest missile launches by North Korea are a “serious provocation” that harms peace, the South Korean military said on Sunday.
The missile fired on Tuesday was the first from North Korea to fly over Japan in five years. The launch marked the 24th time this year that North Korea has conducted missile tests.
North Korea, which has pursued missile and nuclear tests in defiance of U.N. sanctions, said on Saturday its missile tests were for self-defence against direct U.S. military threats and had not harmed the safety of neighbouring countries and regions.
“Our missile tests are a normal, planned self-defence measure to protect our country’s security and regional peace from direct U.S. military threats,” said state media KCNA, citing an aviation administration spokesperson, Reuters reported.
Source: India Today
