North Korea launches two medium-range missiles into East Sea: South Korean military

Seoul [South Korea], December 18 (ANI): North Korea launched two medium-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea on Sunday, Yonhap news agency said citing South Korean military.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said that it detected the launches from the Tongchang-RI area, North Pyongan Province between 11:13 am and 12:05 pm (local time). According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, the missiles were fired at steep angles and flew around 500 kilometres. The JCS said that the intelligence authorities of South Korea and the United States have been carrying out an analysis for other details with regards to North Korea’s recent missile activities.

Pyongyang’s latest missile attack comes a month after it launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) believed to be capable of reaching the whole of the continental US, according to Yonhap news agency.

Earlier on Thursday, North Korea carried out an “important test” on a “high-thrust solid-fuel” motor to create “another new-type strategic weapon system,” Yonhap news agency cited Korean Central News Agency.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff condemned North Korea’s missile launches and called it an “act of significant provocation” that undermines peace and stability in the Korean peninsula and the international community, as per the Yonhap news agency report. It stressed that the action was a “clear” breach of the United Nations Security Council resolutions.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff underscored that Seoul will continue to maintain a readiness posture depending on its capabilities to respond “overwhelmingly” to any provocations by Pyongyang. South Korea’s JCS called on North Korea to stop carrying out such actions.

“We strongly condemned them and urge the North to immediately stop them,” Yonhap news agency quoted South Korea’s JCS as saying in the message. Earlier in November, North Korea launched a ballistic missile, the Japanese Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement. Pyongyang fired what seemed to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) eastward Friday, Yonhap news agency reported citing a defense source.

Japanese Prime Minister’s Office tweeted, “[Emergency alert] North Korea has launched a suspected ballistic missile. More updates to follow.” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) earlier announced that North Korea fired an unspecified ballistic missile.