Seoul, Dec. 18 (BNA): North Korea fired two ballistic missiles towards the sea off the eastern coast of the Korean peninsula today, according to South Korea and Japan.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the two medium-range missiles flew 500 kilometers (311 miles) away.
Japanese Deputy Defense Minister Toshiro Inoue said the missiles appeared to have landed outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone and there were no reports of damage, Reuters reported.
“North Korea’s ballistic missiles were launched from sharp angles and fell into the East Sea,” the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
“The intelligence authorities of South Korea and the United States are conducting a comprehensive analysis, taking into account recent trends related to North Korea’s missile development.”
North Korea’s launch comes just days after the country tested a high-propellant solid-fuel engine that experts said would allow faster and more mobile launches of ballistic missiles, as it seeks to develop a new strategic weapon and accelerate its nuclear and missile programmes.
ZHB