Seoul/Tokyo, Oct. 12 (Jiji Press)–North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles from around Pyongyang into the Sea of Japan on Monday, according to the South Korean military. The missiles, which varied in type, were launched at around 9:20 a.m., and some traveled over 900 kilometers, the military said. They fell into waters outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone. At a press conference in Tokyo, Takashi Koyari, Japanese state minister of defense, said that at least two missiles were launched, with one traveling about 220 kilometers while reaching an altitude of about 20 kilometers and the other traveling about 910 kilometers while reaching an altitude of about 70 kilometers. Koyari noted that the missiles “may have flown on irregular trajectories” and that Japan, the United States and South Korea are analyzing the flights in detail. “Including repeated launches so far, a series of North Korean actions threaten the peace and safety of Japan, the region and the international community,” the Japanese official stressed. A South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff official told the press that the latest missile firing was likely a demonstration against South Korea’s first hypersonic missile test, which followed North Korea’s similar missile test on Oct. 3. The South Korean presidential office argued that North Korea’s missile launches violate related U.N. Security Council resolutions and do not contribute to stability on the Korean Peninsula. Last week, North Korea disputed a South Korean military report that a mine that exploded near the military demarcation line, injuring three soldiers, had been planted by North Korea. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
