South Korea detected two missile launches by North Korea. The south is furious and responded that this is a “serious provocation that undermines the peace”. The launches are the first ballistic missile tests since October 14. The Japanese Ministry of Defense said that it also identified the launches and that the type of missiles used and their flight plan are still under review.
North Korea fired two ballistic missiles into the sea, the US warned its use of nuclear weapons “will bring the end of this regime”. South Korea’s military detected the two launches from the east coast of Tongchon around noon on Friday, the South’s chief of staff said Korea in a statement. South Korea strongly condemned the launches, calling them “a serious provocation that undermines regional peace, and violates the UN Security Council resolutions that prohibit any ballistic activity by North Korea.”
The Japanese Ministry of Defense said it had also identified the launches and that the type of missiles used and their flight plan were still under review. South Korea’s foreign ministry said its top nuclear envoy held phone calls with his counterparts in the US and Japan shortly after the launches.
The three agreed to strengthen trilateral coordination on North Korea while repeating their calls for the North to stop weapons tests and return to talks. The launches are the North’s first ballistic missile tests since Oct. 14, and came on the final day of South Korea’s 12-day annual field exercises, which also included an unspecified number of U.S. troops this year. Next week, the air forces of South Korea and the United States plan to conduct a large-scale exercise.