World

North Korea Launches Multiple Ballistic Missiles Over East Coast Waters

By AP and Reuters

North Korea fired several ballistic missiles into the sea off its east coast, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The JCS reported that one missile launched from the Pyongyang area traveled more than 900 km (559 miles) on Monday, but did not disclose how many missiles were detected. Japan’s Deputy Defense Minister Takashi Koyari said at least two missiles were launched 17 minutes apart and landed in waters outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone. The first missile flew about 220 km (137 miles) and the second more than 910 km (565 miles), following an “irregular” flight path that may indicate a hypersonic weapon. The presidential office in Seoul stated that Pyongyang’s repeated launches violate United Nations Security Council resolutions and called for an immediate halt. The launches come amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, as both sides have conducted weapons tests. JCS spokesperson Jang Do‑young said the latest launch appears to be a show of force, coming days after South Korea tested its own hypersonic missile. On Thursday, President Lee Jae‑Myung oversaw South Korea’s first public test‑firing of a hypersonic missile, which his office said would enhance the country’s ability to strike key targets by surprise in the “Korean Peninsula theatre of operations.” North Korea also tested a hypersonic intermediate‑range missile on October 3, designed to evade missile defenses in South Korea and Japan. Last week, Seoul demanded an apology after a landmine blast wounded three soldiers in the Demilitarized Zone; a joint South Korean‑UN investigation concluded that two landmines were planted by North Korean forces about a year ago. Pyongyang dismissed the claim and accused South Korea of provocation. Prior to the mine blast, Seoul said it was conducting “preliminary coordination efforts” to facilitate dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington. President Lee pledged to reopen dialogue with North Korea in his first speech after taking office in 2025. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un continues to advance his nuclear weapons program while rejecting U.S. and South Korean offers to resume stalled diplomacy. Talks between Kim and former U.S. President Donald Trump ended abruptly in 2019. Kim’s government maintains that Washington should abandon its “hostile” policy toward Pyongyang and drop demands for North Korea’s denuclearisation as a condition for talks.