SEOUL– North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) into the East Sea on Friday, the South Korean military said, less than a week after its launch of two medium-range ones.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launch from the Sunan area in Pyongyang at 4:32 p.m. It did not immediately provide other details.
“While strengthening our monitoring and vigilance activities, our military is maintaining a full readiness posture in close cooperation with the United States,” the JCS said in a text message sent to reporters.
On Sunday, the North launched what Seoul officials called two medium-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea.
The following day, it claimed the launch was part of a military reconnaissance satellite development effort, while unveiling a plan to finish preparations for its first such satellite by April next year.
Friday’s launch came after Kim Yo-jong, the younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, took umbrage Tuesday at South Korean experts doubting if the North has mastered the atmospheric reentry technology for its intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
She also hinted at the possibility of the North firing an ICBM at a standard angle — rather than a lofted one — to prove the country’s ICBM technology.
This year, the North has fired more than 60 ballistic missiles, a single-year record, as it is forging ahead with its stated weapons development projects, such as developing hypersonic missiles and solid-fuel long-range ones.
Source: Yonhap News Agency