The South Korean military revealed that "North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea off its eastern coast, in the latest episode of a series of weapon tests while South Korea and the United States conduct their largest joint military exercises in years." The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff stated in a report that "the missiles were launched around 7:40 a.m. local time (2240 GMT yesterday, Monday) from South Hwanghae Province near the west coast of the country and traveled approximately 620 kilometers." They added that "the South Korean military is on high alert and in full readiness, in close coordination with the United States."
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida noted that "Japan is gathering information regarding the missiles and has not yet confirmed any damage in the country resulting from the launch." Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno mentioned that "it has not yet been confirmed whether the missiles entered areas belonging to Japan or its exclusive economic zone," and expressed that "it is likely that North Korea will intensify its provocative actions, including missile launches or nuclear tests," adding that "we will continue to cooperate closely with the United States and South Korea regarding the movements of the North Korean military and gather and analyze intelligence."
The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command stated that "the missiles did not pose an immediate threat to U.S. forces or territory or to allies," but noted that "North Korea's illegal weapons programs have destabilizing effects." The South Korean military strongly condemned North Korea, describing the repeated missile launches as a significant provocation that threatens peace and security in the region and a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
This launch follows two days after North Korea fired what it called strategic cruise missiles from a submarine and less than a week after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered the military to intensify its training for deterrence and response "to a real war" if necessary.
