North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles off of its east coast early Monday, officials said, the second weapons test in three days.
The missiles were launched around 7 a.m. local time from near the west coast of North Korea, Japan’s Ministry of Defense said, adding they likely fell in the Sea of Japan on the east side of the Korean Peninsula. The first missile flew as far as 400 kilometers, the ministry continued, adding the second flew some 350 kilometers.
South Korea also said it detected two short-range ballistic missiles launched just north of Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital, according to the country’s joint chiefs of staff.
Monday’s ICBM test was conducted to bolster North Korea’s fatal nuclear attack capacity and ensure weapon reliability, North Korean state media reported Sunday, according to the Associated Press. Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, warned against additional steps over future military drills between the U.S. and South Korea.
“The frequency of using the Pacific as our firing range depends upon the U.S. forces’ action character,” she said, AP reports. “We are well aware of the movement of U.S. forces’ strategic strike means recently getting brisk around the Korean Peninsula.”
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