UNIPA News(SEOUL) — North Korea fired around 10 ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Saturday, South Korea’s military said.
The missiles were detected at around 1:20 p.m. local time (0420 GMT) after being launched from the Sunan area near Pyongyang, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. The launches were first reported by the Seoul-based Yonhap news agency.
“Our military maintains a firm readiness posture while closely sharing North Korean ballistic missile information with the U.S. and Japanese sides while maintaining heightened surveillance against possible additional launches,” the military said in a statement.
South Korea strongly condemned the launches, calling them violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
“The latest ballistic missile launches by North Korea constitute a provocation that violates UNSC resolutions, and we call for an immediate halt,” the presidential Office of National Security said after holding an emergency security assessment meeting shortly after the launches.
The office also reported details of the launches and Seoul’s response measures to President Lee Jae Myung.
Japan’s Defense Ministry also confirmed that North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile, which appeared to have already fallen. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi instructed officials to collect information and ensure the safety of aircraft and vessels, according to Kyodo News. No damage in Japan has been reported so far.
The latest missile launches came as South Korea and the United States are conducting their annual springtime Freedom Shield military exercise.
North Korea last launched multiple short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Jan. 27, later saying the test was intended to evaluate a newly upgraded large-caliber multiple rocket launcher system.
Earlier in January, Pyongyang also carried out its first ballistic missile launches of the year toward the East Sea.
In a related development, South Korean and U.S. forces staged joint river-crossing drills on Saturday in Yeoncheon, a border county about 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of Seoul, as part of the ongoing Freedom Shield exercise.
The drills were conducted on the Imjin River and involved around 200 pieces of military equipment, including KM3 amphibious bridging vehicles and ribbon bridge systems, according to the armed forces.
About 700 troops from South Korea’s Capital Mechanized Infantry Division and 7th Engineer Brigade took part in the exercise alongside the U.S. Stryker Brigade Combat Team of the 2nd Infantry Division.
