North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles into the East Sea on Tuesday afternoon, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.
“Our military detected several unidentified ballistic missiles launched into the East Sea from an area north of Pyongyang at around 3:50 p.m.,” the JCS said in a statement.
“The military has strengthened its surveillance and readiness posture in anticipation of additional launches and is closely sharing information on the missiles with its U.S. and Japanese counterparts,” the JCS added.
The JCS is currently analyzing the missiles’ specifications, including their range and speed.
This marks North Korea’s second ballistic missile launch of the year and comes 23 days after its previous launch on Jan. 4.
The latest launch is being interpreted as both a demonstration of military strength and an effort to reinforce internal unity ahead of the anticipated 9th Workers’ Party Congress of North Korea in February.
The launch also coincided with a regional visit by Elbridge Colby, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense for policy, who is regarded as one of U.S. President Donald Trump’s top security strategists.
Colby visited Korea on Sunday and met with Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun and Minister of National Defense Ahn Gyu-back to discuss key alliance issues, including South Korea’s acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines, increased defense spending and the transfer of wartime operational control.
Japan’s Defense Ministry separately reported that North Korea had fired two suspected ballistic missiles, according to NHK and Kyodo News. Both projectiles are believed to have landed outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
The Japanese government is currently gathering information and assessing any potential impact on its territory.
Update, Jan. 27: More information on launch added following JCS statement.
BY LIM JEONG-WON, HAN YOUNG-HYE [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]
