North Korea fires 3 short-range ballistic missiles

North Korea fired three short-range ballistic missiles Thursday, the South Korean military said, days after the inauguration of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who has indicated he will take a hard-line stance with Pyongyang.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea launched the missiles from Pyongyang’s Sunan area at around 6:29 p.m. toward the Sea of Japan.

Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi told reporters North Korea fired three missiles, and if on their usual trajectories, they likely flew about 350 kilometers with a maximum altitude of around 100 km.

Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi meets the press in Tokyo on May 12, 2022, after North Korea fired three short-range ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan earlier in the day. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

The missiles are believed to have fallen into the sea off North Korea’s eastern coast and outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone, and the Japanese government has received no reports of damage, Kishi said. Japan, which has no diplomatic relations with North Korea, lodged a protest with Pyongyang via its embassy in Beijing, he added.

North Korea has been conducting a series of missile tests since the start of the year. The latest launches mark the third round this month, following a suspected firing of a submarine-launched ballistic missile Saturday.

“A series of actions by North Korea threatens the peace and stability of our country and the international community, so it is absolutely unacceptable,” the defense minister said.

Yoon has emphasized the importance of his country’s trilateral security cooperation with Japan and the United States in addressing Pyongyang’s missile and nuclear threats.

Prior to taking the helm, the new leader said a preemptive attack remains an option in dealing with the threats. His predecessor Moon Jae In had sought reconciliation with the North.

Amid growing speculation that the reclusive country may carry out a nuclear test soon, U.S. President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit South Korea and Japan from May 20 to 24, making it his first trip to Asia since taking office in January 2021.

Last week, Washington said the North could be ready as early as this month to conduct its seventh nuclear test, the first since 2017, at its Punggye-ri test site. Japan and South Korea have also said they share that view.

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