Pyongyang [North Korea], May 8: North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles into the sea off its east coast on the morning of May 8, according to a statement from the South Korean military.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said North Korea fired multiple missiles from around the eastern port city of Wonsan into the East Sea at around 8:10 a.m. local time, according to AP. South Korea has not announced how far the missiles flew but said they were short-range ballistic missiles.
The JCS said the South Korean military had stepped up monitoring and shared information about the launch with the United States and Japan. Japanese government officials said the missile launch did not pose a threat to the country, according to NHK.
North Korea has not released any information. This is the first ballistic missile launch detected by North Korea since March 10, when the country launched multiple ballistic missiles hours after the US and South Korea began annual joint military exercises. This is also the sixth launch this year.
Tensions on the Korean peninsula have escalated in recent months as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un continues to push ahead with his nuclear and missile programs.
North Korea's ballistic missile program is banned under United Nations Security Council resolutions. However, the country has continued to develop missiles with a range of ranges in recent years.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
