Nth Korea fires off 4 short-range ballistic missiles
North Korea fired four shortrange ballistic missiles toward the Yellow Sea on Saturday, local time, South Korean officials said, adding to a record number of launches this year that have ratcheted up regional tensions.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff detected the launches from Tongrim County in North Pyongyan Province, it said in a statement.
The missiles flew about 130km at an apogee of 20km with a top speed of Mach 5.
The action follows the launch on Wednesday of at least 23 missiles, including the first ballistic one to fly over a nautical border with South Korea, marking the country’s biggest daily barrage under leader Kim Jong Un.
On Thursday, North Korea tested an intercontinental ballistic missile designed to hit the American mainland, while warning the US of ‘‘powerful measures’’ if it continued joint military drills in the region with South Korea and others.
The US and South Korea have sharpened their rhetoric to deter Pyongyang from further military escalation, warning that using a nuclear weapon against allied nations would result in the end of the Kim regime.
The US, Japan and South Korea have warned that Pyongyang could soon raise tensions with a nuclear test, which would be its first in five years and seventh overall.
The US and South Korea also said they planned to extend the ‘‘Vigilant Storm’’ military exercises underway – and which North Korea cited as the reason for its recent spate of launches. Two B-1B US strategic bombers staged joint drills with four South Korean F-35A fighter jets on Saturday, the Joint Chiefs said.
Earlier Saturday, North Korea’s foreign ministry condemned what it called military provocations from the US and warned that it will respond to any attacks against its sovereignty.
The latest test might be used to advance Kim’s pursuit of miniaturised nuclear warheads that he could mount on missiles to strike the US allies that host the bulk of America’s troops in Asia.