North Korea Fires Volley of Missiles
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - North Korea fired eight short-range ballistic missiles towards the sea off its east coast on Sunday, likely its largest single test, a day after South Korea and the United States ended joint military drills.
The bilateral exercises involved an American aircraft carrier for the first time in more than four years.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said that at least eight missiles were fired from the Sunan area of the North Korean capital Pyongyang and they flew between 110 km-600 km (70-370 miles) at altitudes between 25 km to 90 km, Reuters reported.
In response, South Korea President Yoon Suk-yeol convened a National Security Council meeting and ordered "expanded deterrence of South Korea and the United States and continued reinforcement of united defense posture".
The NSC meeting conclued that the missile launch was North Korea's "test and challenge" of the security readiness of South Korea's new administration, which took office last month, the president's office said in a news release.
The US Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement that North Korea's multiple ballistic missile launches highlighted the destabilizing impact of its illicit weapons program but that the event didn't pose an immediate threat.
Last week, the United States called for more UN sanctions on North Korea over its ballistic missile launches, but China and Russia vetoed the suggestion, publicly splitting the UN Security Council on North Korea for the first time since it started punishing it in 2006, when North Korea conducted its first nuclear test.
In recent weeks, North Korea has test-fired a range of missiles, including its largest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
North Korea's last tests were on May 25, when it launched three missiles after US President Joe Biden ended an Asia trip where he agreed on new measures to deter the nuclear-armed state.
