North Korea fires short-range ballistic missiles toward Sea of Japan
North Korea launched several short-range ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan on Tuesday morning, according to the South Korean military.
The missiles were fired from Kanggye, located in North Korea's northern region, at approximately 9:30 a.m. local time. They traveled a distance of about 250 kilometers before landing in the sea, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff reported.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi stated during a press conference in Tokyo that no missiles had entered Japan’s territory or exclusive economic zone (EEZ). "The government is committed to maintaining vigilance and conducting surveillance activities," Hayashi said, adding that Japan is closely cooperating with the United States and South Korea to analyze the situation.
This marks North Korea's continued missile activities following its launch of an intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile on January 6. That launch was seen as a renewed show of force ahead of the upcoming inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Monday.
Regional tensions remain high, with allied nations increasing their monitoring efforts in response to North Korea’s provocations. (ILKHA)