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North Korea fires short-range ballistic missiles for second time in a week

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  • North Korea fires short-range ballistic missiles for second time in a week
  • September 18, 2024
  • Article Body Text SEOUL/TOKYO — <p>North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles Wednesday that landed in the sea off its east coast, South Korea and Japan said.</p> <p>The missiles lifted off from Kaechon, north of the capital, Pyongyang, around 6:50 a.m. local time and flew in a northeast direction, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said, without specifying how many were fired.</p> <p>&quot;Our military is maintaining full readiness posture while strengthening surveillance and vigilance in preparation for additional launches and closely sharing information with the U.S. and Japan side,&quot; it said in a statement.</p> <p>About 30 minutes after the first missile notice, Japan's coast guard said North Korea fired another ballistic missile, noting the projectiles appeared to have fallen.</p> <p>The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said on X that it was aware of the launches and consulting closely with Seoul and Tokyo.</p> <p>The North fired several short-range ballistic missiles last Thursday, the first such launch in more than two months, which it later described as a test of a new 600 mm multiple-launch rocket system.</p> <figure><img src="https://gdb.voanews.com/b5ba5582-876b-4827-ab0d-225977e4f331_w1600_r1_n_s.jpg" /><figcaption>This undated photo released from North Korea&#39;s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS on Sept. 13, 2024 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspecting a test firing of a new-type 600mm multiple rocket launcher at an undisclosed ocation in North Korea.</figcaption></figure> <p>South Korea's JCS has said the launch might have been to test the weapons for export to Russia, amid intensifying military cooperation between the two countries.</p> <p>The United States, South Korea and Ukraine, among other countries, have accused Pyongyang of supplying rockets and missiles to Moscow for use in the war in Ukraine, in return for economic and other military assistance.</p> <p>North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, who is visiting Russia this week to attend conferences, met her counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on Tuesday and discussed ways to promote bilateral ties, the Russian foreign ministry said on its website.</p> <p>Wednesday's missile launches also came days after the isolated country for the first time showed images of centrifuges that produce fuel for its nuclear bombs, as leader Kim Jong Un visited a uranium enrichment facility and called for more weapons-grade material to boost the arsenal.</p>
  • Content Type Text
  • Language English
  • NewsML Media Topics Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
  • Subtitles / Dubbing Available No
  • Network VOA
  • Embargo Date September 17, 2024 21:29 EDT
  • Byline Reuters
  • Brand / Language Service Voice of America - English
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