SEOUL — North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Sunday, South Korea’s military said.
The launches came about three hours apart. Both missiles were launched from the Wonsan area on North Korea’s east coast.
First Missile Flew 450 Kilometers
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the first missile was launched at about 3 p.m.
It flew around 450 kilometers before falling into the sea.
Then, North Korea launched a second missile at about 5:50 p.m. The second missile flew more than 600 kilometers, according to South Korean officials.
Both launches targeted the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan.
Japan Confirms Missile Tests
Japan also confirmed the launches.
Tokyo said both missiles fell outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone. Japan’s Defense Ministry said the first missile traveled about 440 kilometers. The second covered about 590 kilometers, based on Japanese data.
Meanwhile, Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Tokyo had lodged a protest with North Korea through diplomatic channels.
Japan is also working with South Korea and the United States to study the missile launches.
Second Missile Test Series in a Week
The latest launches mark North Korea’s second missile test series in about a week.
Pyongyang fired multiple ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on September 12. Those missiles traveled about 250 kilometers, according to South Korea’s military.
The latest launches came after North Korea criticized recent US-led military drills in the region.
However, North Korea has not publicly explained Sunday’s launches. Its state media had not reported the tests by Monday morning.
