North Korea fired two ballistic missiles into the sea on Saturday evening, the Yonhap news agency reported, citing the South Korean military.
This brings the number of ballistic missiles launched by North Korea in the past two weeks to eight amid escalating tensions with the US, which recently stepped up its joint military exercises with Seoul and Tokyo.
The chief of staff of the South Korean army only indicated that two new missiles were launched from the southeast of North Korea, without specifying details.
“Our military, which has increased its monitoring and vigilance, is ready to act immediately in close cooperation with the United States,” Yonhap said, citing the Joint Military Command.
On Twitter, the Japanese Prime Minister’s office confirmed at least one rocket launch.
“North Korea has launched what is believed to be a ballistic missile. More information later,” the tweet read.
Citing the country’s government, the Japanese publication Kalo Kyodo reported that two rockets were fired towards the Sea of Japan and apparently landed outside the exclusive economic zone of Japan.
The Coast Guard said it has not yet received reports of damage to Japanese ships, according to the national channel NHK.
Pyongyang’s latest ballistic missile launch follows a joint U.S.-South Korean military exercise that ended on Saturday, Yonhap said. And also after joint exercises between the US, South Korea and Japan earlier this week.
On Tuesday, North Korea launched a medium-range ballistic missile that flew over Japan and then fell into the sea, an unprecedented event since 2017, prompting Tokyo to activate a warning system and ask residents in some areas to take cover.
Earlier Saturday, the North defended its latest round of missile tests, emphasizing that it was a “legitimate response” to “direct U.S. military threats” while Washington, Tokyo and Seoul saw them as a “serious threat to peace and security.”
