North fires 8 ballistic missiles

SEOUL: North Korea launched eight ballistic missiles from multiple locations yesterday, South Korea’s military said, a day after Seoul and Washington completed their first joint drills involving a US aircraft carrier in more than four years.

Pyongyang has doubled down on upgrading its weapons programme this year, despite facing crippling economic sanctions, with officials and analysts warning that the regime is preparing to carry out a fresh nuclear test.

“Our military detected eight shortrange ballistic missiles fired by North Korea,” Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

The missiles were launched from multiple locations over a 30-minute period, including Sunan in capital Pyongyang, Tongchang-ri in North Pyongan province, and Hamhung in South Hamgyong province, they said.

They travelled different distances — from 110-670 kilometres — and flew at different altitudes of up to 90 km, it added.

Japanese Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi said the simultaneous test-firing from multiple locations was “unusual”.

“This is absolutely unacceptable,” he added.

According to local reports, two missiles were shot from each site, likely from transporter erector launchers (TELs) — the largest number of ballistic missiles North Korea has recently launched on a single day and occasion.

Analysts say the volley of missile launches yesterday — one of nearly 20 weapons tests by Pyongyang so far this year — is a pointed message for Seoul and Washington.

“It shows North Korea’s intention to neutralise the missile defence system of South Korea and the United States with multiple simultaneous attacks during emergency,” said Cheong Seong-jang, a researcher at the Sejong Institute.

The move comes barely a day after South Korea and the United States wrapped up large-scale, three-day exercises involving the USS Ronald Reagan, a 100,000-tonne nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.

The exercises were the allies’ first joint military drills since South Korea’s hawkish new President Yoon Sukyeol took office last month, and the first involving an aircraft carrier since November 2017.

Pyongyang has long protested against the joint exercises, calling them rehearsals for invasion.