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| ▲ A ballistic missile is launched toward the East Sea from the Jangyon area in South Hwanghae Province on March 14, 2023, in this file photo released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency the following day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap) |
(LEAD) N Korea-missile launch
(LEAD) N. Korea fires 2 short-range ballistic missiles toward East Sea: S. Korean military
(ATTN: CHANGES headline, dateline; UPDATES throughout with more details)
SEOUL, Aug. 31 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, South Korea's military said Thursday, in apparent protest against combined South Korea - U.S. military drills.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected the launch from an area in or around Sunan between around 11:40 p.m. 11:50 p.m. Wednesday. It did not elaborate further, pending an analysis.
"While strengthening our monitoring and vigilance against additional provocations, 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 Wednesday, the allies staged joint air drills, involving at least one U.S. B-1B strategic bomber, over the Yellow Sea in connection with exercise Ulchi Freedom Shield, which began on Aug. 21 and is set to end Thursday.
Pyongyang has long accused the allies' military drills of being an invasion rehearsal against it, with the North's leader Kim Jong-un recently calling for a "drastic boost" in the country's missile production capability and for war contingency preparations in an "offensive" manner.
The latest saber-rattling also comes after Pyongyang's failed launch of a purported space rocket, carrying what it claimed to be was a military reconnaissance satellite, last Thursday, which marked its second botched attempt this year.
The North last test-fired two short-range ballistic missiles on July 24.
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