North Korea fired several short-range ballistic missiles off the east coast on Tuesday, South Korea’s military said, marking Pyongyang’s latest show of force just days before the return of the U.S. president-elect. Donald Trump, to office.
The missiles traveled about 250 km after taking off at around 9:30 a.m. local time from Kanggye, Jagang province, near the country’s border with China, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.
“We strongly condemn the launch as a clear provocation that seriously threatens the peace and stability of the Korean peninsula,” the JCS said, warning the North against “misjudging” the situation and vowing to “respond overwhelmingly” to any further provocations.
Acting President Choi Sang-mok also condemned the launch as a violation of UN Security Council resolutions and said Seoul would respond severely to North Korea’s provocations.
The launch came about a week after it fired what it claimed was a new intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile, which was its first missile test since Nov. 5.
The latest missile firing also occurred during a visit to Seoul by Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and Iwaya condemned the North’s nuclear and missile development on Monday and vowed to strengthen security ties after talks in Seoul.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, while visiting Seoul last week, also called for further strengthening of bilateral and trilateral cooperation involving Tokyo to counter growing military threats from Pyongyang.
Tuesday’s launch came days before , which held unprecedented summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his first term and praised their personal relationship.
South Korean lawmakers, after being briefed by the National Intelligence Service, said Monday that Pyongyang’s recent weapons tests were intended, in part, to “show off its U.S. deterrence capabilities and get Trump’s attention.” , after promising “the toughest anti-US backlash” at a key year-end policy meeting last month.