North Korea has continued its torrent of missile launches, firing off two missiles in quick succession Monday morning, Seoul said, days after large-scale military exercises between South Korea, Japan and the United States.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the weapons had been fired to the northeast at around 5:05 a.m. and 05:15 a.m. from near Jangyon, in North Korea’s South Hwanghae province.
The short-range ballistic missile traveled about 600 kilometers, while the other unidentified ballistic missile flew about 120 km.
The second missile appeared to have flown abnormally in an early stage of its flight, the South Korean military said, exploding in midair, with debris possibly landing near or on the North Korean capital, which is about 120 km northeast of Jangyon.
"It is difficult to know the missile's exact point of impact, but there is a possibility that it went toward Pyongyang," the Yonhap news agency quoted an unidentified South Korean military official as saying.
Seoul said its military had “immediately detected, tracked and monitored the North Korean missile launch, and closely shared relevant information with the U.S. and Japan.”
Japan's top government spokesman said Monday that Tokyo was working closely with Seoul and Washington, including by sharing real-time missile-warning data. The partners agreed last year to begin sharing such data in what the three countries said was “a major step for deterrence, peace and stability.”
Pyongyang said last week for the first time that it had successfully tested a new multiple-warhead missile capability — a claim dismissed by the South Korean military as a “deception.”
South Korea later released a video purportedly showing the missile exploding in midair.
On Sunday, North Korea criticized the three-day multidomain military drills between South Korea, Japan and the United States that wrapped up Saturday, saying that such exercises show the relationship among three countries has developed into "the Asian version of NATO."
The multilateral Freedom Edge drills involved navy destroyers, fighter jets and the nuclear-powered USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier, and were aimed at boosting defenses against missiles, submarines and air attacks, the three countries' militaries said.
Pyongyang said it would take unidentified "offensive and overwhelming" countermeasures in response to the exercises, which were agreed to at a three-way summit in the U.S. last year amid rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
Monday’s launches came after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un presided over the third day of a key ruling party meeting on Sunday. Pyongyang has hinted that important developments could be revealed at the meeting, with speculation rife that this could include more information on North Korea’s military cooperation with Russia.
Last month, Kim inked a landmark treaty with Russian President Vladimir Putin — a pact that includes a mutual defense pledge.
Experts said Monday’s missile launches appeared to be an attempt by Kim to distract from any shortcomings with its weapons tests.
“In both North Korean politics and military policy, the best defense is often a good offense,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. “These missile launches are likely the Kim regime’s way of compensating for recent failed tests, aiming to impress a domestic audience during ruling party meetings.”
The North, he added, “is also determined not to appear weak” while South Korea conducts military exercises with Japan and the United States.
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