North Korea fired about 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward waters off its eastern coast on Thursday, South Korea’s military said, in a fresh show of force amid worsening tensions along the heavily armed border between the two Koreas.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were launched from the coastal area around Wonsan and travelled roughly 250 kilometres. Seoul increased surveillance and said it was coordinating closely with the United States and Japan. Japan’s defence ministry reported a suspected launch and said the missiles did not appear to have fallen inside its exclusive economic zone.
The launches came as Pyongyang approached a deadline it had announced for putting anti-South Korean propaganda loudspeakers on standby along the border. The dispute has intensified since landmine explosions in September injured three South Korean soldiers. Seoul has blamed North Korea, which denies responsibility, and has proposed military talks that remain unanswered.
Reuters reported that Thursday’s launch was North Korea’s third missile launch this month. The Associated Press also noted that the tests followed leader Kim Jong Un’s recent visit to China, North Korea’s main ally. The immediate link between the missile activity and the border dispute has not been established.
Photo: Mike Bravo / Unsplash
