North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends the launch of a Hwasongpho-19 intercontinental ballistic missile on Oct. 31, 2024, in this image from the state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper. (Rodong Sinmun)
SUWON, South Korea — North Korea launched several short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern coast Tuesday morning, the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a message to reporters.
The missiles were fired around 7:30 a.m. toward the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, from the vicinity of Sariwon city in North Hwanghae province, about 35 miles south of Pyongyang, according to the Joint Chiefs.
No further details were immediately available.
The launch comes five days after the North fired an intercontinental ballistic missile that flew 620 miles to a peak altitude of 4,776 miles, a record for the communist regime, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency.
The most recent launch occurred a day before the U.S. presidential election.
The next U.S. president will be facing new challenges from Pyongyang, North Korean Ambassador to the U.N. Song Kim said in a Sept. 30 speech at the organization’s headquarters in New York City.
“Whoever takes office in the United States, we will only deal with the state entity called the U.S., not the mere administration,” he said at the time. “Likewise, any U.S. administration will have to face [North Korea], which is different from what the U.S. used to think.”
This story will be updated.
