North Korea fires 3 short-range missiles

August 26, 2017

SEOUL/WASHINGTON- North Korea fired what are believed to be short-range missiles toward the Sea of Japan from Kangwon Province, eastern North Korea, early Saturday morning Asia time, the South Korean military said.

The missiles, launched from around 6:49 a.m. (9:49 p.m. Friday GMT), are believed to have flown up to some 250 kilometers, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The US Department of Defense said North Korea fired three short-range ballistic missiles between 6:49 a.m. and 7:19 a.m.

A US Pacific Command spokesman said that two of the three traveled 250 kilometers northeast, correcting the initial US view that all three failed.

The initial assessment held that the first and third missiles failed in flight while the second one apparently exploded immediately after its firing.

Meanwhile, a senior South Korean government official said North Korea is believed to have used an upgraded 300mm multiple launch rocket system.

"There has been no information of ballistic missiles falling into Japan's exclusive economic zone," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters Saturday morning in Tokyo.

The launched missiles "do not pose any direct threat to Japan's national security," Suga added.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe instructed relevant government bodies to stay on high alert and keep fully prepared to protect the lives and assets of Japanese people.

Speaking to reporters, Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said North Korea fired short-range missiles or rockets from its eastern coast, adding that his ministry is analyzing further details.

The previous time North Korea launched a missile was July 28, when an intercontinental ballistic missile was fired into Japan's EEZ.

The latest launches were apparently intended as a warning against joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea that began Monday, sources familiar with the situation said. Jiji Press