North Korea fires ‘multiple cruise missiles’ into Yellow Sea again

North Korea continues to exert pressure. The South Korean army said on Saturday that an unspecified number of cruise missiles were fired from Pyongyang around 4 am (1900 GMT) towards the Yellow Sea, which separates China from the Korean Peninsula. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) added in a statement that missile performance is being evaluated.

“We have stepped up surveillance and control and are maintaining the highest level of preparedness in close coordination with the United States,” the JCS said.

The shootings come three days after Pyongyang fired two short-range ballistic missiles in a “simulated tactical nuclear strike” in response to the annual “Ulchi Freedom Shield” joint military exercise between the United States and South Korea. reclusive country.

Pyongyang sees the exercise as a rehearsal for an invasion of its territory, while the two allies say they are defensive in nature.

On Tuesday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited a training command post where he detailed his future military plans, including “very intense simultaneous strikes” against key military posts in the south.

Record number of weapon tests

North Korea has conducted a record number of weapons tests this year, and last week made a second unsuccessful attempt to put a spy satellite into orbit.

In response, Seoul and Washington stepped up their defense cooperation by staging joint military maneuvers involving advanced stealth aircraft and US strategic assets.

Relations between the two Koreas are at their lowest point in years, and diplomacy has stalled after attempts to discuss Pyongyang’s denuclearization failed.

Kim Jong-un declared North Korea an “irreversible” nuclear power and called for more weapons production, including tactical nuclear weapons.