North Korea launched today two short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM) into the Sea of Japan (called the East Sea in the two Koreas) at a time marked by the imminent summit between leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Our military detected two short-range ballistic missiles launched by North Korea from the Sunan area (just outside Pyongyang) towards the East Sea between 11:43 and 11:53 (2:43-2:45 GMT) today, Wednesday, September 13 “said the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) in a statement.
The Japanese Government also reported the detection of the launches, the twenty-fourth test of North Korean weapons so far this year, at the same time as the Japanese Coast Guard, which noted that the missiles fell into the water a few minutes after being launched.
The last time North Korea carried out a similar launch, on August 30, it reported days later that the action had supposedlyor the simulation of a tactical nuclear attack, since the missiles detonated over an islet used as a simulated target.
The launch comes at a time when Kim Jong-un, who is visiting Russia, is expected to meet with Putin in the coming hours to close a possible agreement to exchange weapons and military resources.