North Korea today launched two short-range ballistic missiles (SLBM) into the Sea of ??Japan (called the East Sea in both Koreas), according to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The launch came after Pyongyang issued a protest against South Korea’s live-fire exercises with the United States.
“Our military detected two short-range ballistic missiles launched by North Korea into the East Sea from the Sunan area (where Pyongyang airport is located) between 7:25 p.m. and 7:37 p.m. today (10:25-10:37 GMT),” he explained. the JCS in a statement sent to the media.
Seoul had initially reported the launch of a single ballistic missile of an unknown type into the Sea of ??Japan.
For their part, Japanese government sources cited by local media have indicated that the projectile or projectiles appear to have fallen within the Japanese Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) without any damage being reported for the moment.
This is the first launch of a projectile of this type by Pyonyang since last April 13, when the regime first tested a solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), a type of propellant that is much more efficient than the liquid format. .
Today’s test comes in turn after North Korea launched a space rocket on May 31 with a reconnaissance satellite on board that failed and crashed in the Yellow Sea (called the West Sea by both Koreas).
This latest launch also coincides with the completion, today, of the largest-scale live-fire exercises ever conducted by Seoul and Washington on South Korean soil, which Pyongyang has strongly condemned.
The southern president himself, Yoon Suk-yeol, personally attended the last of these drills held today in Pocheon, about 40 kilometers northeast of Seoul.
