Seoul said Pyongyang launched more than 10 ballistic missiles into the sea

Seoul said Pyongyang launched more than 10 ballistic missiles into the sea while South Korea and the US were conducting joint exercises.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said North Korean ballistic missiles originated from an area near the capital Pyongyang and flew about 300 km into the eastern sea of ​​the peninsula.

The Japanese Ministry of Defense confirmed on the same day that North Korea had fired many ballistic missiles. The projectiles reached a maximum height of 90 km, flew about 320 km and fell into waters outside Tokyo's exclusive economic zone.

The South Korean Presidential Office convened an emergency security meeting, saying the missile launch was "a serious violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions" and calling on Pyongyang to "immediately stop this action".

South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back told lawmakers that the missiles appeared to be fired from 600 mm heavy multiple rocket launchers. The very large size of the projectiles makes them similar in function to tactical ballistic missiles.

According to Mr. Ahn, Seoul is closely monitoring these systems because they could be deployed near the border with South Korea. North Korea previously announced that its 600 mm rocket artillery, designated KN-25 by the US, is capable of carrying tactical nuclear warheads.

North Korean officials have not commented on the missile launch.

Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, on August 19 condemned the joint military exercises between the US and South Korea, although this activity has been shortened by more than half and will end early on August 21, after President Trump ordered a sharp reduction in Washington's participation and expressed his desire to resume dialogue with Pyongyang.

On August 17, Mr. Trump announced that he had received a response from Mr. Kim after issuing the above order. However, Kim Yo-jong said she was "not aware" of recent contact between the North Korean leader and the US President, adding that Washington's "hostile policy" towards Pyongyang has not changed.

Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, said the launch was conducted to emphasize that the warning that Kim Yo-jong gave was "not empty words".

He said the launch could serve many different purposes, such as sending a signal of opposition to joint military exercises between the US and South Korea, expressing dissatisfaction with recent discussions about North Korea's nuclear arsenal, as well as warning about the consequences when rival countries speculate about Pyongyang's security issues.

"This is a message that issues related to North Korea's security are for North Korea to decide for itself," Professor Yang said, but did not rule out the possibility that the launch was for weapons testing or a normal live-fire exercise.