North Korea on Thursday launched one large -range ballistic missile and two low -range ballistic missiles, one of them prompted people in northern Japan to hide in shelters. South Korean military reported about launching missiles.
According to the South Korean Ministry of Defense, a large -range ballistic missile was launched in the direction of the Japanese Sea from the Sunan region near Pyongyan at about 7:40 am local time. At 8:39, two more low -range ballistic missiles were launched from the province of South Pyhenan. South Korean armed forces “support the state of full readiness, closely cooperating with the United States and enhancing observation and vigilance,” says the message quoted by Agence France-Presse.
The Japanese authorities called on the inhabitants of the northern regions to stay at home or look for asylum at about 8 am local time. Initially, Tokyo said that the rocket flew over Japan, but later the Minister of Defense Yasukaz Hamada said that “the rocket did not cross the Japanese archipelago, but disappeared over the Japanese sea.”
The launches took place a day after Pyongyang produced more than 20 missiles, one of which was spent near the territorial waters of South Korea.
Pyongyang calls the ongoing US-Switching Korean military exercises, “aggressive and provocative military exercises against the DPRK,” and warned that if they continue, Seoul and Washington “will pay the most terrible price in history.”