North Korea launches 3 suspected ballistic missiles, Japan’s Coast Guard says | CNN

CNN
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North Korea has launched three suspected ballistic missiles, the Japanese Coast Guard said in a statement on their official website.

Japan’s coast guard issued an alert to vessels Monday morning local time and advised vessels to “keep an eye out for further information.” The agency also told vessels to stay away from falling objects and report any sightings to the coast guard.

Before the statement, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea had fired at least one unidentified ballistic missile into the waters off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula.

A day before the incident, North Korea acknowledged it conducted a test Saturday of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), its third known test of the long-range weapon in less than a year.

The state-run Korean Central News Agency said a Hwasong-15 ICBM was fired in a “surprise ICBM launching drill” under the written orders of leader Kim Jong Un.

The missile flew 989 kilometers (614 miles) for almost 67 minutes to an altitude of 5,768.5 kilometers (3,584 miles), according to the KCNA report.

It said the test was proof of Pyongyang’s ability to launch a “fatal nuclear counterattack on the hostile forces” and “clear proof of the sure reliability of our powerful physical nuclear deterrent.”

Saturday’s test came after North Korea warned Friday of “unprecedented strong responses” if the United States and South Korea go ahead with planned military exercises.

Washington and Seoul are expected to hold nuclear tabletop drills this week at the Pentagon, the South Korean Defense Ministry said Friday. The allies are also expected to hold military drills next month in the Korean Peninsula.