North Korea fired a dozen short-range ballistic missiles today from its east coast, reported Reuters, quoted by BTA, referring to the South Korean armed forces.
According to their data, the missiles were launched at 6:14 a.m. (0:14 a.m. Bulgarian time) from the Sunan region near the North Korean capital Pyongyang and flew about 350 kilometers before falling into the Sea of Japan.
South Korea shares information with Japan and the United States, the statement added.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, in turn, announced that a ballistic missile had fallen outside his country's exclusive economic zone.
The tests came just days after North Korea failed to put a second intelligence satellite into orbit because the launch vehicle's engine exploded during the flight on Monday. Despite the failure, North Korean head of state Kim Jong-un promised yesterday that his country would never give up its space intelligence program, notes Reuters.
Today, a representative of the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for saying that the attempt to put a reconnaissance satellite into orbit violated resolutions adopted by the Security Council of the world organization.
Spy satellites are a priority for the regime in Pyongyang, according to AFP. It announced it had launched its first such satellite into orbit in November after two failed attempts last year.