North Korea Fires Ballistic Missiles Towards The Sea Off Its East Coast
SEOUL, Jan 4 (Reuters) – South Korea’s military said North Korea launched several ballistic missiles from the capital Pyongyang towards the sea on its east coast around 7:50 a.m. local time on Sunday.
The first launch of North Korea’s ballistic missiles in two months will take place at a time when South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will speak. State visit to China It will begin on Sunday, when Seoul said peace on the Korean peninsula will be discussed.
“Our military has strengthened surveillance and vigilance in preparation for further launches,” the General Staff said in a statement, adding that the information was shared closely with the United States and Japan.
The missiles are believed to have already crashed, according to Japan’s Ministry of Defense.
Pyongyang for the last time tested ballistic missile was in November.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for more than doubling the production capacity of tactical guided weapons during his latest visit to an munitions factory on Saturday, North Korean state media reported.
In recent weeks, Kim has made a series of visits to nuclear-powered submarines as well as factories producing weapons and oversaw missile tests to outline key policy goals for the Workers’ Party ahead of this year’s Ninth Party Congress.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will host Lee on a state visit that begins Sunday.
Without going into details of the summit agenda, Lee’s security adviser, Wi Sung-lac, said Seoul expects Beijing to play a role in promoting peace on the Korean peninsula.
Lee’s agenda with Xi includes persuading China to facilitate dialogue with North Korea, experts said, at a time when North Korea has rejected Lee’s aid.
(Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin; Additional reporting by Jack Kim, Ju-min Park and Heejin Kim in Seoul and Tim Kelly in Tokyo; Editing by Rod Nickel, Nia Williams and Chris Reese)
