North Korea fires multiple ballistic missiles towards the sea

North Korea has fired multiple ballistic missiles towards the sea off its east coast, South Korea’s military says.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said one of the missiles launched from the Pyongyang area flew more than 900km (559 miles) on Monday. The joint chiefs did not specify how many missiles were detected.

Japan’s Deputy Defence Minister Takashi Koyari said at least two missiles were launched 17 minutes apart and landed in waters outside of its exclusive economic zone.

Koyari said the first missile flew about 220 kilometres (137 miles) and the second more than 910 kilometres (565 miles), following an “irregular” flight path and suggested it may have been a hypersonic weapon.

South Korea’s presidential office said that Pyongyang’s repeated missile launches violate United Nations Security Council resolutions, urging an immediate stop.

Monday’s launches add to heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, as both countries have been conducting weapons tests.

JCS spokesperson Jang Do-young said the latest missile launch appears to be a show of force, days after South Korea tested its own hypersonic weapon.

On Thursday, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung oversaw the country’s first test-firing of a hypersonic missile, a rare public showcasing of a missile test by a South Korean president.