North Korea fires missiles, three reach Japan waters

“The U.S. seeks to convince the public that the joint military exercises are ascribable to [North Korea’s] access to nuclear weapons, but this is sophism making profound confusion of right and wrong”, the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported in a statement it attributed to the foreign ministry. No further details of the talks were provided.

After an emergency meeting of South Korea’s National Security Council, acting president Hwang Kyo-Ahn called the North’s nuclear and missile provocations “immediate and real threats” to his country.

Experts said the projectiles could be short-range Scud missiles with a range of 500-700 km or mid-range Rodong missiles with a range of 1,300-1,500 km given the number of missiles.

It was launched from the Tongchang-ri region, where a missile base is located, at around 7.36am South Korean time, the military added.

Those options will soon be presented to Trump and his top national security aides, the report said quoting US administration officials.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg last month urged North Korea “not to raise tensions further and to re-engage in a credible and meaningful dialogue with the worldwide community”.

Pyongyang criticized the maneuvers, calling them a preparation for war against the North.

North Korea claims the military exercises are a rehearsal for an invasion, despite US and South Korean insistence that they are defensive in nature.

The test was the first ballistic missile launch from the country since its February 12 test launch of the Pukkuksong-2 solid-fuel, medium-range ballistic missile, and its second ballistic missile launch in 2017 overall.

North Korea is barred under United Nations resolutions from any use of ballistic missile technology.

The launch happened while Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was in the United States visiting US President Donald Trump.

North Korea is under heavy global sanctions for its nuclear and missile programmes.

The provocative barrage of missiles comes at a time of growing pressure on North Korea over its nuclear programme and allegations that it carried out the assassination in Malaysia of the half-brother of leader Kim Jong-un.

The Koreas are divided by the world’s most fortified border and remain technically at war after the 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice instead of a peace treaty. Around 3,600 additional USA military personnel have joined 28,000 United States troops already based in South Korea for “Operation Foal Eagle”, which continues until April 30.