Thursday 18 / April / 2024
Berlin: North Korea on Wednesday fired two ballistic missiles into the sea, according to the South Korean military.
Hours later, South Korea said President Moon Jae-in observed Seoul's first underwater-launched missile test on Wednesday afternoon.
The South's missile, fired from a 3,000-ton-class submarine, flew a previously set distance before hitting a designated target, the presidential Blue House said.
Possessing a submarine-launched ballistic missile was "expected to play a major role in self-reliant national defense and the establishment of peace on the Korean Peninsula going forward," the Blue House said.
The tests came as China's foreign minister visited Seoul for talks about Pyongyang's recent testing of new long-range cruise missiles.
What we know about Pyongyang's launch
The two "unidentified ballistic missiles" were launched from a site in central North Korea, toward the waters of the Korean Peninsula's east coast on Wednesday afternoon, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
"South Korean and US intelligence agencies are conducting detailed analysis," they added, without immediately giving details of the missiles' range.
Japan's coast guard said the missiles landed outside Japanese economic waters.
If Wednesday's test were confirmed as a ballistic missile, it would be Pyongyang's first since March this year and a further violation of UN sanctions.
