SEOUL: N Korea has fired a salvo of at least 10 short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast, South Korea’s military claimed on Thursday, describing it a possible display for would-be buyers, including Russia.
Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also stated that N Korea had launched a ballistic missile that appeared to have landed outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone. South Korea’s military said in a statement that the suspected missiles were fired from the Sunan area near Pyongyang at 6:14 a.m. on Thursday and flew about 350 km before plunging into the sea.
Seoul is sharing Pyongyang’s missile-related information with Washington and Tokyo, it said in the statement. Washington called on Seoul to stop “further illegal and destabilizing acts”. North Korea has carried out several similar salvo launches of its KN-25 missile in the current year.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff has said that all of the missiles fired appeared to have been the same type, and that they were a type likely destined for export to Moscow.
UN sanctions monitors, U.S. intelligence officials, and experts have claimed that N Korean missiles were used in Ukraine, but Russia and N Korea have denied conducting any arms agreements, which would violate an arms embargo on N Korea.
