North Korea fires 2 apparent short

People watch a TV at Seoul Railway Station, Jan. 25, showing a file image of a North Korean missile launch during a news program. North Korea fired two apparent short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, Thursday, South Korea's military said, in Pyongyang's sixth such launch this year. AP-Yonhap

North Korea launched two apparent short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, Thursday, according to South Korea's military, in Pyongyang's sixth such test this year.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launches from in and around Hamhung, a city on the North's east coast, at around 8 a.m. and 8:05 a.m., respectively, and they flew about 190 kilometers with a top altitude of 20 km.

"For more details, the intelligence authorities of South Korea and the United States are conducting a detailed analysis," the JCS said in a text message sent to reporters.

The South Korean military is keeping close tabs on related North Korean movements and maintaining a readiness posture, the JCS added.

Pyongyang apparently test-fired at least two cruise missiles from an inland area Tuesday following four reported weapons tests, including hypersonic missile launches, Jan. 5 and 11.

It also tested the KN-23 missile ― modeled after Russia's Iskander ballistic missile ― Jan. 14, and its own version of the U.S. Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), called the KN-24, three days later.

The recent bouts of saber-rattling by the North came as the United States has been stepping up sanctions pressure amid a protracted deadlock in its denuclearization negotiations with the recalcitrant regime.

Last Friday, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned the North's missile launches this month during their virtual summit, the White House said, though U.S. officials have continued to signal an openness for dialogue.

A day ahead of the summit, a defiant Pyongyang made a thinly-veiled threat to lift its years-long moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests, sparking speculation it could engage in more provocative actions down the road. (Yonhap)