North Korea fires three short-range missiles into the sea, threatening fresh escalation of tensions with US
The firing of the missiles occurred as the US and South Korea conducted joint military exercises for five days
North Korea on Saturday fired three short-range missiles into the sea off the coast of its eastern Kangwon province, South Korea’s military said, ending a brief respite from military provocations and threats between Washington and Pyongyang.
The South Korean Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the projectiles flew in a north-easterly direction for about 250km into the sea. The JCS said the South Korea and US militaries were analysing the launch.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump “has been briefed and we are monitoring the situation”, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in an announcement following the missile launches.
Two of the missiles failed in flight and the third blew up “almost immediately”, said a spokesman for US Pacific Command.
None of the missiles, which were launched near Kittaeryong, had posed a threat to either North America or the US Pacific territory of Guam, the spokesman said.
“The first and third missiles ... failed in flight. The second missile launch ... appears to have blown up almost immediately,” said the spokesman, Commander Dave Benham, adding that the launches happened over a span of 30 minutes.