North Korea fires 4 ballistic missiles into Sea of Japan

March 6, 2017

SEOUL- Defying international criticism, North Korea fired four ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan around 7:36 a.m. Monday (10:36 p.m. SundayGMT), the South Korean military said the same day.

The four missiles were launched from an area near the Tongchang-ri long-range missile site in the western part of the reclusive state and are estimated to have traveled some 1,000 kilometers, according to South Korea's Joint Chief of Staff.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported earlier that the reclusive state may have launched an intercontinental ballistic missile. But a South Korean military source said there is a low possibility of an ICBM launch.

In Tokyo, Japan's Defense Ministry said the four missiles were fired simultaneously from the North Korean west coast and are believed to have fallen into waters in the sea about 300-350 kilometers west of the northeastern Japan prefecture of Akita, with three of them likely to have landed in the country's exclusive economic zone.

No related damage to ships has been reported, according to the Japan Coast Guard.

The latest launches followed the Feb. 12 firing of a medium-range missile. Last year, North Korea conducted a series of missile launches, as well as its fourth and fifth nuclear tests. The Japanese government lodged a strong protest against Pyongyang's fresh action, which "clearly indicates" that North Korea has emerged as a major new threat to security in the region, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters.

The missile firing is believed to be intended as a warning to the United States and South Korea, which started joint military drills on an unprecedented scale on Wednesday, observers said. North Korea also aimed to demonstrate to the administration of new U.S. President Donald Trump the progress in its development of a missile that can reach the U.S. mainland, they added.

In his New Year's address, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to continue building up his country's defense and preemptive attack capabilities, particularly its nuclear weapon capacity, as long as the United States and its "vassal forces" keep posing nuclear threats and conducting war games. Kim also declared that his country had entered the final stage of preparation for the test launch of an ICBM.

On Thursday, a North Korean military spokesman condemned the U.S-South Korea joint drills as designed for the invasion of the North and warned of superstrong countermeasures. Jiji Press