North Korea fires around TEN ballistic missiles towards the sea off its east coast, South Korea's military says
A missile launches from a North Korean naval vessel in footage released by Pyongyang in July, as fresh US, EU and Australian sanctions targeting the country's weapons development preceded Thursday's barrage of ballistic…A social-media post showing a North Korean missile salvo towards the Sea of Japan, as Kim Yo Jong dismissed South Korean calls for an apology over a landmine incident as "despicable.
North Korea launched approximately a dozen short-range ballistic missiles out of the Wonsan area on Thursday, travelling around 250 kilometres into the East Sea — the most provocative such launch in weeks and a clear rebuff to Seoul, which had extended an offer of military talks fewer than six days earlier. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff announced they are sharing intelligence with the US and Japan and have raised surveillance levels in case further launches follow. The volley came one day after Washington, the EU and Australia imposed fresh sanctions on Pyongyang's weapons programme and its illicit dealings with Russia.
Seoul's military assesses that the launches most likely involved the KN-25 super-large 600mm rocket launcher, which Pyongyang claims can carry tactical nuclear warheads.
Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un's sister, had already dismissed South Korean demands for an apology over the DMZ landmines as "despicable" and rejected Seoul's offer of medical supplies.
The missiles were fired in the days following Kim Jong Un's return from China, and amid concern that Trump's diplomatic overtures toward Pyongyang could leave South Korea sidelined in any eventual US-North Korea agreement.
