North Korea fired six ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan early Wednesday and another one in the evening, drawing economic sanctions from Japan and intensifying international concern about its nuclear weapons and diplomacy with the United States.
Six missiles, including what is believed to have been a long-range Taepodong-2, were test-fired at 3:30 a.m., 4 a.m., 5 a.m., 7:10 a.m., 7:30 a.m. and 8:20 a.m. Pyongyang launched the seventh at 5:20 p.m. and it came down at 5:30 p.m., Japanese government sources said.
The third missile was believed a Taepodong-2, fired from a base on the country's northeastern coast. The remaining six originated in southeastern North Korea, the officials said. All of them fell into the sea off Vladivostok, Russia, they said.