The regime in North Korea continues to escalate its military threats: after having let a missile fly over Japanese territory for the first time in years, the military is now firing two short-range missiles towards Japan again.
North Korea has continued its series of missile tests. The Yonhap news agency reported, citing the South Korean military, that North Korea had fired two short-range ballistic missiles in the direction of the Sea of Japan. No further details were initially given.
The office of the Japanese Prime Minister also confirmed on Twitter that a North Korean missile had been launched again. Accordingly, the missile fell into the sea outside of Japan's exclusive economic zone. The Japanese Coast Guard has not yet received any reports of damage to Japanese ships, the national broadcaster NHK reported.
It is the seventh time North Korea has conducted missile tests in the past two weeks. Last Tuesday, the country also had a medium-range missile fly over the Japanese archipelago for the first time in five years. The latest missile launch came just hours after a naval exercise by South Korean and US forces ended. The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan also took part in the military exercise.
Shortly before, North Korea's national aviation authority had justified the missile launches as a self-defense measure against the United States. These pose no threat to the region's immediate neighbors, according to a statement released by the state news agency KCNA.
UN resolutions prohibit North Korea from testing ballistic missiles of any range, which, depending on the design, can also carry a nuclear warhead.
