North Korea fires ballistic missiles toward East Sea

North Korea fires ballistic missiles toward East Sea

SEOUL: North Korea launched a series of unidentified projectiles toward the East Sea on Thursday, South Korea’s military said, raising fresh concerns over Pyongyang’s continued missile activity.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff detected the launches from the Pyongyang area, according to military officials. The projectiles traveled a relatively short distance before falling into waters in the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan.

Japan’s government also confirmed the launches and said the projectiles could be ballistic missiles. Japanese authorities closely monitored the trajectory and assessed whether the launches posed any threat to the country.

Media reports said North Korea fired around 10 short-range ballistic missiles from the Pyongyang area. The launches came amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula and renewed international scrutiny of North Korea’s weapons development programme.

South Korean and Japanese authorities remain on alert and are analyzing the type, range and flight paths of the projectiles. Officials are also coordinating with the United States as they assess the latest launches.

North Korea has repeatedly conducted short-range missile tests in recent years, often describing them as part of efforts to strengthen its military capabilities. The latest launches could further increase tensions in the region and draw criticism from South Korea, Japan and the United States.