N Korea fires missiles days after South Korea's hypersonic test

PYONGYANG/SEOUL:

North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles toward the sea off its east coast on Monday, South Korea's military said, marking Pyongyang's fourth launch in a month and following Seoul's recent test of a hypersonic missile.

The ballistic missiles, whichappeared to be of different types, were fired at around 9:20 a.m. local time (0020 GMT) from near Pyongyang, and one type flew more than 900 km (559 miles), South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

Earlier, Japan's coast guard said North Korea had fired two unidentified projectiles, believed to be ballistic missiles, adding that both appeared to have already fallen. The US Pacific Command, in a statement, said it was aware of the two ballistic missiles launched, but the event posed no immediate threat to US personnel, territory or allies.

"We are aware of the missile launches and are consulting closely with our allies and partners," the statement said.

South Korea's National Security Office convened an emergency meeting, where it condemned the missile launches as violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions and urged an immediate stop.

North Korea has been under UN sanctions since 2006, aimed at halting Pyongyang's development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

The latest launches come as tensions have been rising between the two Koreas in recent weeks amid weapons tests by both countries.

Last week, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung oversaw the country's first test-firing of a hypersonic missile, a rare public showcasing of a missile test by a South Korean president.

Monday's missile launches by North Korea appeared to be "a show of force in response to the successful test launch of our hypersonic missile, as well as an intentional demonstration of missile capabilities," a spokesperson for South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. Reuters