North Korea fires 3 ballistic missiles toward Sea of Japan

Tokyo, 31 December, /AJMEDIA/

North Korea fired three ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan on Saturday, Japan’s Defense Ministry said, in the latest of a flurry of weapons tests that have raised regional tensions.

The missiles, launched around 8 a.m. from the outskirts of the capital Pyongyang, flew about 350 kilometers at a maximum altitude of around 100 km before falling near the east coast of the Korean Peninsula, the ministry said.

It marks the 37th time that North Korea has fired missiles in 2022, renewing the highest level on record for a year. The last launch was on Dec. 23.

The projectiles appear to have fallen outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone and no damage to aircraft or ships has been reported, the ministry said.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida instructed officials to swiftly provide necessary information to the public, ensure the safety of aircraft and ships and prepare for contingencies, according to his office.

The government has lodged a protest with North Korea via the Japanese Embassy in Beijing over the latest launches in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said the action taken by North Korea, whose formal name is the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to Japan and other allies.

“The missile launches highlight the destabilizing impact of the DPRK’s unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs,” it said in a statement, in reference to weapons of mass destruction.

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