Pyongyang has launched multiple short-range ballistic missiles towards the sea, its neighbours said, a day after the United States, South Korea and Japan ended their trilateral military drill that North Korea views as a provocation.
North Korea’s ballistic missile launches, the first in about three weeks, came as the country was continuing its weapons display after rebuffing US President Donald Trump’s decision to scale back a major bilateral military drill with South Korea in a goodwill gesture.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff yesterday said it detected the launches of several missiles from North Korea’s eastern coastal Wonsan area.
It said the missiles flew about 250km each in a direction towards North Korea’s eastern waters.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff added that it had boosted its surveillance posture and was closely exchanging information on the launches with the United States and Japan.
South Korea’s presidential national security council issued a statement urging North Korea to halt ballistic missile firings that violate UN Security Council resolutions.
The US Pacific Command said the North’s launch event didn’t pose an immediate threat to US territory or its allies.
On Friday, the United States, South Korea and Japan ended their five-day Freedom Edge exercise as scheduled.
The US Pacific Command said the militaries of the three countries “trained side by side across air, sea and cyber domains, sharpening the interoperability that keeps the region secure.”
South Korea’s military earlier on Friday said the exercise is defensive in nature and meant to enhance a joint response capability against North Korean nuclear threats. — AFP
