North Korea fires 2 unidentified projectiles into East Sea: JCS

This composite photo, released by the North’s Korean Central News Agency on Aug. 11, 2019, shows the test-firing of missiles, one day after their launch from the eastern North Korean coastal city of Hamhung (Yonhap)

Seoul: North Korea fired two unidentified short-range projectiles into the East Sea on Friday, South Korea’s military said, the sixth such launch in about three weeks.

The firing came shortly after a warning that North Korea could end dialogue with South Korea in apparent protest against the Seoul-Washington military exercise and Seoul’s defense plan, announced earlier this week, outlining its five-year major weapons procurement projects.

The two projectiles were fired at around 8:01 and 8:16 a.m. from its eastern coastal county of Tongchon in Kangwon Province into the East Sea, and both flew around 230 kilometers at a maximum altitude of 30 km and a top speed of around Mach 6.1, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

“Our military is monitoring the situation in case of additional launches while maintaining a readiness posture,” the JCS said, adding that South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities are analyzing their exact type.

After holding an emergency National Security Council meeting presided over by national security adviser Chung Eui-yong, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae called on the North to stop such firings that could heighten military tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

In Washington, a senior U.S. government official said the United States is aware of the missile launch and closely monitoring the situation in cooperation with its allies.

YONHAP