North Korea Fires 'Unidentified Projectile' Into East Sea - Reports
02:14 06.03.2017(updated 03:31 06.03.2017)
Pyongyang has launched several "unidentified projectiles" into the East Sea on Monday, South Korean media reported.
A projectile was shot from a site located near the country's Dongchang-ri long-range missile launch center at around 7:36 AM and fell into the East Sea after flying over the country, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said as cited by the Yonhap news agency.
"We are conducting an analysis on the projectile to determine its type and flight range. It will take a while before we come up with a final analysis," the JCS stated, suggesting that the projectile could be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) KN-08 or KN-14.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga stated that the DPRK has launched a total of four projectiles in direction of the Sea of Japan, stressing that three of them landed in Tokyo's exclusive economic zone.
Both Tokyo and Seoul convened urgent security meetings on the launch.
The launches occurred amid the joint drills between South Korean and American militaries, indicating an "apparent" protest from Pyongyang, Yonhap noted.
Ongoing military training exercises between the US and South Korea have reportedly been called a provocation by Pyongyang, and are scheduled to continue through April.
The DPRK's major newspaper Rodong Sinmun released a news piece on Monday, stating that Pyongyang will boost its military capabilities and develop the means of self-defense in accordance with the country's nuclear status.
North Korea's nuclear program has been a source for concern for its closest neighbor, South Korea, as well as for the international community. On February 12, Pyongyang launched a medium-range ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan and declared the test successful. This and a number of previous launches were considered to be in violation of the UNSC resolutions by the United Nations.
© Sputnik
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