North Korea has fired multiple missiles toward the sea off its eastern coast, according to the South Korean military.
What happened
The launch occurred on October 12, just days after South Korea test-fired a hypersonic weapon for the first time. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff detected the launch from the Pyongyang area at around 9:20 a.m. local time, with at least one projectile traveling over 900 km.
The Japanese Ministry of Defense confirmed the launch, saying at least two missiles were detected within 20 minutes of each other. The first missile reached a maximum altitude of about 20 km and flew for around 220 km, while the second reached a maximum altitude of about 70 km and flew for over 910 km.
The launch is seen as a response to South Korea's test of a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) on October 8, which was observed by South Korean President Lee Jae-myung. The HGV is a missile system that uses a booster to reach the upper atmosphere before gliding at hypersonic speeds.
Tensions between North and South Korea have been heightened in recent weeks, with both countries conducting missile tests. The launches have been condemned by the Japanese Ministry of Defense, which stated that they violate U.N. Security Council resolutions and pose a serious threat to regional and international security.
