https://abcnews.go.com/International/north-korea-launches-unidentifiable-objects/story?id=64549551 North Korea launches 2 short range missiles ABC News Jul 25, 2019 North Korea launched two unidentifiable objects on Wednesday that traveled 267 miles into the Sea of Japan, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff. A U.S. official confirmed that North Korea had launched two short-range missiles. "North Korea today launched two unidentifiable objects at 5:34 and 5:57 am," according to a statement from South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff. "Flight distance was approximately 430 kilometers (267 miles). Earlier, when the South Korean military had tracked the first launch, the statement said, "Our military is keeping close watch in case of additional launches." The missiles were fired from Wonsan in eastern North Korea and landed in the Sea of Japan. Two U.S. officials confirmed to ABC News that North Korea has fired at least one short-range projectile. One of the officials characterized it as a short-range missile. "We've found some features that indicate that the second one could be a new type, which requires more analysis and assessment," South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. "It is too early to tell whether these were ballistic missiles or not." It was not clear whether just the second missile contained new technology, or the first did as well. "We believe that Kim Jong Un has recently stayed in the region, and summertime military drills are now under way in the North," according to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff. Earlier, another official said the latest launch appeared similar to the two short-range missiles fired by North Korea on May 9. Those missiles traveled similar distances, but were not intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that are of most concern to U.S. officials. President Donald Trump downplayed the launches in May that would have been violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions. "My people think it could have been a violation, as you know," he said at the time. "I view it differently." Following Trump's meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore last year, Kim committed to not conducting ICBM launches or nuclear tests while the U.S. and North Korea engaged in discussions towards a possible denuclearization deal. On Monday, Trump reaffirmed to reporters that North Korea had continued to abide by Kim's personal commitment. "Our relationship with North Korea has been very good. We've really established a good relationship with Kim Jong Un," said Trump. "There's no rocket testing. There's no missile testing. We're getting our remains back. We got our hostages back. And we have a very, very good relationship, the two of us, and that's very important." Following Trump's June 30 meeting with Kim at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) dividing South Korea and North Korea U.S. officials hoped that working level talks between the U.S. and North Korea would resume after the failure of the Trump-Kim meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam. But last week, North Korea hinted that those talks might not occur if the U.S. went ahead with a scheduled military exercise with South Korea in August.
North Korea fires multiple projectiles off east coast Early Wednesday actions follow last week's missiles YOSUKE ONCHI, Nikkei staff writer July 31, 2019 06:29 JST SEOUL -- North Korea fired several projectiles early Wednesday morning near the Hodo Peninsula on the country's east coast, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff reports. The firings come just after the Pyongyang launched last Thursday two short-range missiles of a new type. "We are monitoring the situation for any preparations related to additional launches," the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
And again.... ______________________ North Korea launches two possible 'ballistic missiles' into sea, Japan says Published 5 hours agoUpdated 3 hours ago North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervises a "strike drill" for multiple launchers and tactical guided weapon into the East Sea on May 4, 2019 KCNA | Reuters North Korea fired two projectiles, which Japanese authorities said appeared to be ballistic missiles, into the sea between the Korean peninsula and Japan on Thursday, according to the Japanese coast guard and South Korea's military. The two "unidentified projectiles" were fired Thursday afternoon from South Phyongan Province, in the center of the country, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement. Japanese authorities said that they and landed outside Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which extends 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from land. "Objects that appeared to be ballistic missiles were launched from North Korea," Japan's defense ministry said in a statement. "They did not land within our territory." The American air base at Misawa, 700 miles (1,127 km) north of Tokyo, posted a "real world missile alert" and urged personnel to seek shelter, before later issuing an "all clear." The afternoon launch timing was a departure from this year's string of tests, which usually took place around dawn. It also occurred on the day that South Korean President Moon Jae-in attended the funeral of his mother, who died on Tuesday. In a message delivered via the border village of Panmunjom late on Wednesday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had expressed "deep condolences" and "consolation" over Moon's loss, Moon's office said on Thursday. On Wednesday, South Korea's Yonhap news agency cited an unnamed military source who said that movements of transporter erector launchers (TEL), used to fire missiles, had been detected in North Korea. South Korea's National Security Council held an emergency meeting after the launch on Thursday, and expressed its concern about what it called "short-range projectiles." "Our military is maintaining a readiness posture while tracking and monitoring related developments in preparation for another launch," the JCS said in a statement after the launches on Thursday. Kim Dong-yup, a former navy officer who teaches at Seoul's Kyungnam University, said the launches could be a so-called "running test fire" of a recently developed multiple-rocket system, with the aim of fine-tuning the system for full production. Rising tensions Relations between the two Koreas have cooled since a flurry of personal meetings between Moon and Kim last year, and denuclearization negotiations between North Korea and the United States appear stalled. On Sunday, North Korea said there had been no progress in North Korea-United States relations. Kim has set an end-of-the-year deadline for denuclearization talks with Washington, and in the Sunday statement a senior North Korean official said it would be a mistake for the United States to ignore that deadline. North Korea has tested several new missile designs this year, including a new submarine-launched ballistic missile fired from a platform in the sea on October 2. It says the missiles are necessary to defend against new warplanes and weapons acquired by South Korea, including the advanced F-35 stealth fighter jet. North Korea has also accused the United States and South Korea of continuing hostile policies, including military drills. On Monday, South Korea began its annual Hoguk military exercises, which it says are for self defense. North Korean state media, however, blasted the drill as practice for invading the North, and said "South Korean military warmongers are driving the situation into an extreme one." American officials have played down recent tests, saying they were short-range missiles.