SEOUL: North Korea fired two more ballistic missiles toward the sea off the Korean Peninsula on Sunday, said the South Korean military.
Seoul’s military said it detected two ballistic missiles fired from the Tongchang-ri area in the province of North Pyongan. The latest missile launch comes days after Pyongyang successfully tested a solid-fuel motor for a new weapons system.
South Korean military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were launched from 11:13 am (0213 GMT) to 12:05 pm into the East Sea, referring to the body of water also known as the Sea of Japan. “Our military has improved surveillance and vigilance while closely cooperating with the US and maintaining a full readiness posture,” the JCS added in the statement.
Rising military Tensions on Korean Peninsula
The current year saw a rise in military tensions on the Korean peninsula as the North conducted a blitz of weapons tests never seen before, including the last month’s test-launch of its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile ever.
Earlier, North Korea had also tested a “high-thrust solid-fuel motor” which the state media described as an important test “for developing a new type of strategic weapons system”. Pyongyang has raised an arsenal of intercontinental ballistic missiles despite massive international curbs over its weapons programmes.
Kim pledges to make N. Korea ‘world’s most powerful nuclear force’
All of Pyongyang’s known intercontinental ballistic missiles are liquid-fuelled; however, the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has placed developing solid-fuel engines for more advanced missiles on strategic priority.
In a recent statement, Kim expressed his desire of making North Korea the world’s most powerful nuclear force, while declaring his country an “irreversible” nuclear state. Pyongyang is under multiple United Nations Security Council sanctions over its nuclear and missile activities since 2006. — AFP/APP
