US, S. Korea test-Fire 4 Missiles off East Coast
Newslooks- Seoul, South Korea – CNN – (AP)
The United States and South Korea launched four missiles off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula on Wednesday morning local time, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. The launch included four ATACMS missiles, the statement by the South Korean joint chiefs said. Also known as Army Tactical Missile Systems, such weapons are surface-to-surface missiles that can fly around 200 miles (320 kilometers).
The test followed a provocative test-launch Tuesday by neighboring North Korea, which fired a ballistic missile without warning over Japan in a significant escalation of its weapons testing program.
North Korea’s missile launch traveled over northern Japan early in the morning and is believed to have landed in the Pacific Ocean. It was the isolated country’s 23rd missile launch this year, escalating tests of weapons designed to strike key targets in regional U.S. allies amid stalled nuclear diplomacy.
The Japanese prime minister’s office said at least one missile fired from North Korea flew over Japan and was believed to have landed into the Pacific Ocean.
It said authorities have issued an alert to residents in northeastern regions to evacuate buildings nearby in what was reportedly the first such alert in five years.
Trains were temporarily suspended in Japan’s Hokkaido and Aomori regions before their operations were resumed later after a government notice that the North Korean missile appeared to have landed into the Pacific.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said it also detected the launch of a ballistic missile that was fired toward the North’s eastern waters. It gave no further details such as how far the weapon flew.
The launch is the fifth round of weapons test by North Korean in the past 10 days in what was seen as an apparent response to military drills between South Korea and the United States. North Korea views such drills as an invasion rehearsal,
The missiles fired during the past four rounds of launches were short-range and fell in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. Those missiles are capable of hitting targets in South Korea.
President Joe Biden on Tuesday spoke with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to discuss their next steps after North Korea conducted its longest ever test launch by firing a nuclear-capable ballistic missile over Japan.
The White House in a statement said the leaders condemned North Korea’s missile test in the “strongest terms, recognizing the launch as a danger to the Japanese people, destabilizing to the region, and a clear violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.”
The White House said the leaders agreed to coordinate an immediate and longer-term response together, as well as with South Korea, and with the international community. They also vowed to work to limit North Korea’s “ability to support its unlawful ballistic missile and weapons of mass destruction programs.”
