North Korea launches three ballistic missiles in its latest test North Korea

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South Korea’s military said North Korea fired three ballistic missiles toward the sea east of the Korean peninsula on Saturday.

The launches were the latest in an unprecedented number of missile tests by North Korea this year, as Pyongyang continues to develop weapons amid speculation it may test a nuclear weapon for the seventh time.

South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff said the three short-range ballistic missiles were launched around 8 a.m. local time from North Hwanghae Province, south of the capital, Pyongyang.

Japan’s Kyodo news agency, citing the Defense Ministry in Tokyo, reported that the three flew at an altitude of about 100 km and covered a range of about 350 km (217 miles).

The US Indo-Pacific Command said it was aware of the missile launches and was “consulting closely with our allies and partners”.

The launches came a day after South Korea’s Defense Ministry said it had successfully conducted a test flight of a solid-fuel space launch vehicle.

The latest missile tests come on the heels of South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) reports that two ballistic missiles were launched from Tongchang-ri in North Pyongan Province on December 18. “Our military has enhanced surveillance and vigilance while cooperating closely with the United States and maintaining a state of full readiness,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement at the time.

On Monday, five North Korean drones crossed the border into South Korea, prompting the South’s military to scramble fighter jets and attack helicopters to try to shoot them down, in the first such incursion since 2017.

Relations between North Korea and South Korea, a US ally, have been strained since the government of South Korean President Yoon Sok-yol took power in May, promising a tougher stance towards North Korea.

South Korean news agency Yonhap reported that North Korea has launched about 70 ballistic missiles this year, including about eight ICBMs, not counting Saturday’s launches.

North Korea’s official KCNA did not mention the launches on Saturday morning, but said leader Kim Jong Un presided over a party meeting on Friday to decide on policy and strategy for 2023.

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