North Korea launches four ballistic missiles into East Sea (Sea of Japan)

North Korea launched four ballistic missiles that flew about 1,000 kilometers before falling into Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone, reported officials from Japan and South Korea.


The missiles were fired at 7.36 am local time (10.36 pm GMT Sunday) from the northwestern region of Tongchang-ri into the Sea of Japan, or East Sea as it is also known, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Although Seoul and Washington are still analyzing all the information available to determine the type of missiles, the Ministry of Defense stated that it is very unlikely that the projectiles were part of intercontinental ballistic missile tests.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the spokesman explained in a press conference that the projectiles reached a height of "about 260 kilometers".

South Korea's Acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn said during the meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) that the incident was "a direct challenge and grave provocation despite warnings by the international community."

Hwang also urged during the meeting to complete the deployment of the controversial THAAD anti-missile system in South Korea to "establish defense systems" against North Korean missiles.
 EFE/EPA
6/3/17