SEOUL: North Korea has fired two ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan, hours after a US nuclear submarine visited South Korean Busan city, Western media reported on Wednesday.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff also confirmed the new development and said they were analyzing the missiles. North Korea fired ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan, Yonhap reported.
N Korea Fires Ballistic Missile into Sea of Japan: Yonhap
Kyodo news agency reported that missiles have been launched into the sea. The tests are the latest in a series of arms tests by North Korea and come as South Korea and the US ramp up defense cooperation in the face of rising tensions with North Korea.
On Tuesday, the US and North Korea held the first Nuclear Consultative Group meeting in Seoul and also announced that a US nuclear submarine was also making a port visit to Busan for the first time since 1981.
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The development had been likely to trigger a strong response from N Korea. The recent missile launch also comes less than a week after South Korean leader Kim Jong Un personally supervised the firing of North Korea’s newest intercontinental ballistic missile.
Diplomacy between Seoul and Pyongyang has stalled, and Kim Jong Un has called for ramping up arms development, including tactical nukes.
In response, Washington and Seoul have also staged joint army exercises with advanced jets and US strategic assets.
The latest launch also comes as the US confirmed Tuesday that an American soldier is believed to have been arrested by North Korea after crossing the heavily fortified border.
