North Korea fires ballistic missiles, second time this week

Seoul [South Korea]: North Korea has fired short-range ballistic missiles as per local media reports in South Korea and Japan.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launches at about 6:50 am from the North's Kaechon area in north of Pyongyang, and the missiles flew about 400 kilometers, as per Yonhap news outlet.

"We strongly condemn North Korea's missile launches that are clear acts of provocation seriously threatening peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," the JCS said in a statement to the media.

The projectiles are believed to have fallen into the sea, according to the Japan Coast Guard, reported Japanese state media which cited government sources as saying the missiles went down outside Japan's exclusive economic zone.

The US Indo-Pacific Command in a statement said it was aware of Pyongyang's "ballistic missile launches and is consulting closely" with South Korea and Japan, as well as other regional allies and partners.

"The United States condemns these actions and calls on the DPRK to refrain from further unlawful and destabilizing acts. While we have assessed that this event does not pose an immediate threat to US personnel, or territory, or to our allies, we continue to monitor the situation," it said in a statement.

"The US commitments to the defense of the ROK and Japan remain ironclad," it added.

The development comes in the wake of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un seen inspecting a uranium enrichment facility last week. On September 12, North Korea test-fired a new 600mm multiple rocket launcher. In August, Kim Jong-un called for the development and production of more "suicide drones" to enhance war preparedness, amid tensions brewing in the Korean peninsula.

Earlier the same month, 250 new tactical nuclear-capable ballistic missile launchers, which serve as "pivot military hardware" were unveiled by Kim Jong Un to the country's forces. In his speech to military troops at the event, Kim said the US-led alliance has changed into a military bloc based on nuclear power and that Pyongyang will have enhanced nuclear readiness to deter nuclear threats and protect itself to respond to any challenges.

A New York Times report said that US President Joe Biden had in March this year approved a classified document ordering US forces to prepare for possible coordinated nuclear confrontations with Russia, China and North Korea.

Also in July this year the foreign ministers of Quad-a diplomatic partnership between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States- criticised North Korea for using ballistic missile technology and continuing its pursuit of nuclear weapons in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs), and urged the country to comply with all UNSCRs.

Meanwhile, the latest launch of the ballistic missiles is suspected to have involved missiles similar to North Korea's Hwasong-11 family of missiles, previously launched in July, Seoul-based news outlet Yonhap reported.

(ANI)