TNI Bureau: North Korea fired three more missiles Thursday, including a suspected intercontinental ballistic missile, the South Korean and Japanese governments said. It is only the fuel to the fire as tensions raised a day after it launched a record of at least 23 missiles in a single day.
Concerns that one of the missiles might fly over Japan prompted the government to activate its early warning system, urging residents in the northern prefectures of Miyagi, Yamagata and Niigata to take cover inside or underground. Officials later said that the missile did not fly over Japan and that it disappeared over the water.
North Korea has escalated its weapons tests and fiery rhetoric as the U.S. and South Korea continue large-scale joint military exercises this week. The tests are seen as an effort by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to develop his regime’s nuclear arsenal, pressure the U.S. to ease crippling sanctions and gain international acceptance as a nuclear state.
The suspected long-range ballistic missile was fired toward the sea at 7:40 a.m. (6:40 p.m. Wednesday ET) from the Sunan area in Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. An hour later, North Korea fired two suspected short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea from the Gaechon area of South Pyongan province.
Local media reported that air raid sirens had gone off on South Korea’s eastern island of Ulleungdo — where residents were warned on Wednesday to seek shelter after one of Pyongyang’s short-range ballistic missiles crossed the de facto maritime border.
Tokyo also confirmed Thursday’s launches, with the Japanese government issuing a special warning to residents of northern regions shortly before 8 am (2300 GMT), telling them to stay indoors or seek shelter.