The South Korean military has reported the detection of the launch of several short-range ballistic missiles from North Korea towards the Sea of Japan, marking the first time such an action has been carried out since July 1, coinciding with the ongoing escalation of tensions on the Korean Peninsula in recent months.
The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff has reported the incident, stating that they are “fully prepared” and collaborating with the authorities of the United States and Japan, according to the Yonhap news agency.
Authorities detected the launch around 7:10 a.m. (local time) from the Pyongyang area and are still determining the specifications of the projectiles and information about their range.
Subsequently, South Korea, Japan, and the United States condemned the shots fired by Pyongyang, according to a statement released by Seoul after a trilateral meeting to address the situation, which they described as “a clear violation of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions” and “a serious threat to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and to the international community.”
“The three countries, while closely monitoring the possibility of further provocations by North Korea in the future, have agreed to maintain close cooperation to respond firmly to North Korea’s provocations and threats, based on the strong alliance between South Korea and the United States and the security cooperation among South Korea, Japan, and the United States,” it stated.
The last missile launch by North Korea occurred in response to joint military exercises conducted by South Korea, Japan, and the United States, when the projectiles reportedly flew 600 kilometers and 120 kilometers, respectively.