North Korea fired five short-range projectiles into the sea off its east coast on Monday, South Korea’s military said, amid heightened tension over the isolated country’s nuclear and rocket programmes.
The projectiles were launched from south of the city of Hamhung and flew about 200 km (120 miles), landing in waters east of North Korea, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. On Friday, North Korea fired two mid-range ballistic missiles into the sea in defiance of tough new UN and US sanctions slapped on the country following nuclear and rocket tests earlier this year.
“North Korea should refrain from all provocative actions, including missile launches, which are in clear violation of UN resolutions,” Sung Kim, the US special envoy for North Korea, told reporters in Seoul when asked about Monday’s firing.
On Friday, North Korea fired two ballistic missiles, one of which flew about 800 km (500 miles) while the other exploded shortly after launch, US officials said.
US officials told Reuters the medium-range missiles appeared to be fired from road-mobile launchers. One missile, fired from north of the capital, Pyongyang, flew across the peninsula and into the sea off the east coast early Friday.