North Korea has confirmed it launched two missiles that it said were part of a drill designed to train military units to carry out missions at any time and “annihilate the enemy” if necessary.
State news agency KCNA on Wednesday described the launches as “demonstration drills”.
It said the two surface-to-surface tactical ballistic missiles were fired from near the west coast in South Hwanghae province, and flew some 611 kilometres (380 miles) across the country before hitting a target on a small island off its northeastern coast.
South Korea’s military announced on Tuesday it had detected the North Korean launches, the latest to take place during the 11 days of joint exercises between South Korea and the United States known as Freedom Shield that Pyongyang of every fire assault company.”
On Tuesday, the South Korean military reported detecting North Korean missile launches, which occurred during joint military exercises with the United States called Freedom Shield.
North Korea views these exercises as a preparation for invasion and a demonstration of hostility between the two countries.
Over the past few days, Pyongyang has conducted multiple weapon tests, including a submarine-launched weapon and short-range ballistic missiles.
North Korea has been aggressively modernizing its arsenal, resulting in a record number of missile launches last year.
Additionally, satellite imagery indicates that North Korea may be repairing its nuclear weapons test site, sparking concerns that it may be planning its first nuclear test since 2017.
South Korea’s military strongly denounced North Korea’s actions as a severe provocation that threatens peace and security in the region.
A spokesperson from the US State Department also criticized the launches as a violation of numerous United Nations Security Council resolutions.
