North Korea fires at least one short-range ballistic missile toward the East Sea on Thursday, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) says. The JCS says the launch occurs at about 5 p.m. from the eastern coastal Wonsan area. The South Korean military says the number of missiles launched is not immediately known and that it is strengthening monitoring and surveillance for possible additional launches. It also says it maintains full readiness and closely shares relevant information with the United States and Japan.
The missile launch comes more than a month after North Korea’s June 25 weapons tests, which included a tactical ballistic missile and new multiple rocket launcher systems, overseen by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Reporting on those earlier tests noted that they coincided with the 76th anniversary of the 1950-53 Korean War’s outbreak.
Across the sources, the incident is described as a short-range ballistic missile fired toward waters off North Korea’s east coast, with South Korea leading the immediate assessment and indicating ongoing coordination with regional allies.
