North Korea launches missiles over the Yellow Sea and raises alert in South Korea
South Korean television program reports missile firing by North Korea with archival footage.
Lee Jin-man / AP
North Korea launched several short-range ballistic missiles towards the sea on Tuesday (26), the South Korean army reported, in the latest in a series of weapons demonstrations by Pyongyang this year.
The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were fired from the city of Jongju, on the North Korean west coast.
According to the South Korean military, the country has strengthened its surveillance posture and is exchanging information closely with the United States and Japan.
It was North Korea's first weapons launch since April 19, when the country fired several short-range missiles in what state media described as a demonstration of cluster bomb warheads.
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has focused on expanding its nuclear and missile arsenals since the collapse of its nuclear diplomacy with US President Donald Trump in 2019.
Trump has repeatedly expressed a desire to resume talks with Kim, but Pyongyang has ignored the initiatives so far and called on Washington to drop its demand for North Korea's denuclearization as a precondition for talks.
Kim has adopted an increasingly tough stance toward South Korea, calling the country a permanent and most hostile enemy of North Korea, in addition to taking steps to end all ties between the two sides.
Earlier on Tuesday, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called during a cabinet meeting for stronger efforts to advance the country's military sector. He highlighted capabilities in artificial intelligence and drones, as well as the possible acquisition of a nuclear-powered submarine - a topic that is part of his diplomacy with Washington.
Lee, a liberal politician who advocates better relations with North Korea, did not comment specifically on the threats posed by the North. However, he highlighted the importance of South Korea demonstrating "determination to take responsibility and protect our own security", stating that this stance would also strengthen the country's alliance with the United States.
Source: G1