N. Korea Fires Ballistic Missiles toward Sea of Japan

Seoul/Tokyo, April 19 (Jiji Press)–North Korea fired several short-range ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan from an area around Sinpo in the east of the country around 6:10 a.m. Sunday, the South Korean military said. The missiles are believed to have traveled about 140 kilometers. They are forecast to have fallen into areas off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula, according to Japan’s Defense Ministry. None of the missiles flew to Japan’s exclusive economic zone, ministry officials said. North Korea has a submarine development base in Sinpo. The South Korean military is analyzing the firing, suspecting that the projectiles may have been submarine-launched ballistic missiles, according to South Korean media. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi urged government agencies and ministries concerned to gather information about the launch and provide it to the public swiftly. The Japanese government lodged a strong protest with North Korea, saying that missile launches are a serious issue that could affect the safety of people. Following the missile firing by the North, the Office of National Security at the South Korean presidential office held an emergency security meeting. It urged Pyongyang to immediately stop firing missiles, stressing that missile launches are an act of provocation violating relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions. The South Korean military said that South Korea, Japan and the United States closely share information related to the missile firing. North Korea launched short-range ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan from areas around Wonsan in the eastern province of Kangwon twice on April 8, in the morning and the afternoon. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]