North Korea fires missiles days after South Korea's hypersonic test

North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles toward the sea off its east coast on Monday, South Korea's military said, marking Pyongyang's fourth launch in a month and following Seoul's recent test of a hypersonic missile.

North Korea fired ballistic missiles of apparently different types at around 9:20am local time (0020 GMT), with one type travelling more than 900 km (559 miles), South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

Earlier, Japan's coast guard reported that North Korea had launched two unidentified projectiles believed to be ballistic missiles, adding that both appeared to have already fallen.

Seoul condemns missile launches as UN violations

South Korea's National Security Office convened an emergency meeting and condemned the launches as violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions, urging Pyongyang to halt such actions immediately.

North Korea has been under UN sanctions since 2006, aimed at curbing its development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

Missile tests follow South Korea's hypersonic launch

The latest launches come amid rising tensions between the two Koreas in recent weeks, with both countries conducting weapons tests.

Last week, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung oversaw the country's first test-firing of a hypersonic missile, an unusual public demonstration of a missile test by a South Korean president.

A spokesperson for South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff described Monday's launches as an apparent show of force in response to the successful hypersonic missile test and a demonstration of North Korea's missile capabilities.

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Pyongyang increases weapons testing

North Korea last launched a ballistic missile on 3 October, with state media KCNA reporting that it was a hypersonic missile tested under the supervision of leader Kim Jong Un.

The tests followed a border mine blast last month that wounded three South Korean soldiers. Seoul said North Korea had planted the landmines and demanded an apology, while Pyongyang rejected the accusation and accused South Korea of provocation.

North Korea has conducted missile tests on more than 10 occasions this year, including four in the past month.

Tests may strengthen North Korea's position ahead of potential Trump meeting

Song Seong-jong, a professor at Daejeon University in Seoul and a former South Korean Defence Ministry official, said the unusually frequent tests suggested Pyongyang was seeking greater leverage ahead of a potential summit between Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump.

“They definitely need to raise the value of their status before meeting Trump,” Song said.

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North Korea South Korea Ballistic Missiles Kim Jong Un Lee Jae Myung Donald Trump Korean Peninsula Tensions