North Korea Fires Multiple Ballistic Missiles Towards Sea Of Japan; Japan Lodges Protest

North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles towards the Sea of Japan on Monday, prompting South Korea and Japan to assess the launches and monitor potential security risks.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the missiles were launched at around 09:20 AM local time. Some projectiles travelled more than 900 kilometres, Japan’s Kyodo News reported.

Japanese parliamentary vice Defence Minister Takashi Koyari said Tokyo had lodged a diplomatic protest with Pyongyang, condemning the launches as violations of relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.

“We are analysing details, including whether it flew on an irregular trajectory,” Koyari said.

Takashi Koyari added that the second missile likely reached an altitude of 70 kilometres and travelled more than 910 kilometres.

Japan said two missiles likely landed outside its exclusive economic zone.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi directed government agencies to gather and assess information, communicate findings to the public promptly and accurately, and ensure safe navigation in the country’s maritime and airspace areas, Kyodo News reported.

The latest launches follow another North Korean ballistic missile test on October 3. South Korea’s military detected the launch near Wonsan at approximately 06:30 AM, Yonhap News Agency reported.

According to the JCS, the missile travelled more than 700 kilometres before landing at sea.

South Korean authorities coordinated with the United States to assess the weapon’s type and flight details.

South Korean and US intelligence agencies tracked the October 3 launch from its early stages and exchanged relevant information.

“Our military is closely monitoring various movements by the North under a robust South Korea-US combined defence posture and maintaining the capability and readiness to respond decisively to any provocations,” the JCS said.

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