North Korea has fired nearly 10 short-range ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The missiles were fired at around 12:30 p.m. local time from the Wonsan area on North Korea's east coast.
“Our armed forces have stepped up surveillance and vigilance in view of the possibility of more missiles being fired,“ the South Korean military said. Seoul is in close communication with the United States and Japan about the latest launch.
Japanese authorities have also detected a launch that they described as a ballistic missile test. The Japanese coast guard has urged vessels in the Sea of Japan to remain vigilant. South Korea's defense ministry initially said the origin of the projectiles was unknown.
The launches follow an offer of talks
The new test came less than a week after South Korea offered military talks to North Korea over a dispute over the land border between the two countries. Tensions have been high since a September incident in which three South Korean soldiers were injured when two mines exploded in the demilitarized zone.
South Korea accused North Korean soldiers of planting the mines, but Pyongyang denied it. A joint U.N.-South Korean investigation in early October found that the mines had been laid more than a year earlier. Seoul then called the incident a "blatant violation of the 1953 peace treaty" and proposed talks to clarify the demarcation line.
North Korea announced it would deploy new rifle units along the border and resume propaganda broadcasts over loudspeakers. Pyongyang also announced the test of a high-precision torpedo system with artificial intelligence for targeting and detection, as well as the test of two types of strategic cruise missiles launched from submarines.
The two Koreas remain technically at war
The 1950-1953 Korean War ended with an armistice, but no peace treaty was signed between Seoul and Pyongyang. Therefore, the two countries technically remain in a state of war.
The missile launch also comes amid speculation about a possible meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un around the Asia-Pacific Cooperation summit. However, analysts remain skeptical about such a meeting.
Sources: bta.bg, apnews.com, en.yna.co.kr