N. Korea Launches Ballistic Missiles toward Sea of Japan

Seoul/Tokyo, April 8 (Jiji Press)–North Korea launched several short-range ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan on Wednesday morning, according to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff. Fired from the Wonsan area in the eastern North Korean province of Kangwon, the missiles are believed to have flown around 240 kilometers. The latest missile firing came after North Korea launched a projectile suspected to be a ballistic missile from the Pyongyang area only on Tuesday. Speaking at a press conference in Tokyo on Wednesday, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said that no missiles have been confirmed to have entered Japan’s exclusive economic zone. There have been no reports of damage to property and people, he added. “North Korea’s recent string of actions threaten the peace and security of our country, the region and the international community,” the top Japanese government spokesman said, adding that Japan will work closely with the U.S. and South Korean governments to gather information and engage in warning and surveillance activities. As North Korean state media reported on Tuesday a statement by a senior diplomat of the reclusive state saying that South Korea remains an enemy state, the series of projectile launches is seen as a way to demonstrate Pyongyang’s hostile stance toward Seoul. According to South Korean media, the projectile launched on Tuesday was fired toward the eastern side of the Korean Peninsula but disappeared shortly afterward. North Korea is believed to have failed in the missile firing. The South Korean military stressed that it is closely sharing ballistic missile-related information with the United States and maintaining a full alert posture in preparation for possible additional launches. Meanwhile, North Korean media have not reported the launches as of Wednesday morning. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]