Seoul: North Korea fired what appeared to be multiple short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Wednesday, marking its first missile launch since President Lee Jae Myung took office. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) detected the launches northeastward at about 8:10 a.m. from Junghwa in North Korea's southern North Hwanghae Province.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the North last fired short-range ballistic and cruise missiles toward the East Sea on May 8 and May 22, respectively. The JCS stated that the South Korean military has increased its monitoring activities and is maintaining a steady readiness posture while sharing pertinent information with the United States and Japan.
This launch marks the fifth ballistic missile launch by North Korea this year and comes ahead of South Korea's upcoming hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit on Oct. 31-Nov. 1. The recent missile activity has raised concerns about potential escalations by North Korea as it seeks recognition from the United States as a nuclear-armed state.