North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea off its east coast — the first flew 450 kilometers, the second covered more than 600 kilometers. The launch came eight days after the previous one, according to infohub.kz.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the first missile was fired at around 3:00 p.m. local time from the area of the North Korean city of Wonsan and flew about 450 kilometers toward the Sea of Japan.
The second launch was detected at about 5:50 p.m., and the missile covered a distance of more than 600 kilometers. "South Korean and U.S. authorities are conducting a detailed analysis to determine its exact technical specifications," the South Korean military said.
Japan expressed "firm protest" to North Korea over the launches, condemning them as a threat to regional peace and security. The government's statement was reported by local state media.
Pyongyang's missile activity is demonstrative and linked to recent geopolitical events in the region. The launches were a response to joint naval maneuvers by the United States, South Korea, and Japan, including the large-scale Freedom Edge 26 exercises, which ended in the first half of September in the Guam area and the western Pacific Ocean.
The influential sister of the North Korean leader, Kim Yo Jong, sharply criticized the allies' actions, calling the exercises a "rehearsal for war." She officially emphasized that Pyongyang will continue its course toward further strengthening its nuclear deterrence.
The launches took place several days after North Korea's Foreign Ministry once again rejected a resolution by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and confirmed the immutability of its status as a nuclear state. Seoul and Tokyo expressed firm protest against North Korea's actions, calling them a direct threat to regional security and a gross violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.