N. Korea Fires Ballistic Missiles: Japan Defense Chief

May 10, 2019

Tokyo--North Korea is believed to have fired short-range ballistic missiles, Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya said Friday, following a similar analysis by the United States.

"It is extremely regrettable, as this is a clear violation of the U.N. Security Council resolutions," Iwaya told a press conference.

Since any firing of ballistic missiles violates the Security Council's sanctions resolutions against North Korea, the latest provocative action is likely to affect talks between Washington and Pyongyang over the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, pundits said.

The U.S. Department of Defense said in a statement on Thursday that launches by North Korea the same day consisted of multiple ballistic missiles.

The missiles fired from northwestern North Korea flew east over 300 kilometers before they landed in the ocean, the department said.

The latest firing followed projectiles launched by North Korea on Saturday.

It was the first time for North Korea to fire ballistic missiles since the test-firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile, the Hwasong-15, on Nov. 29, 2017. Jiji Press