North Korea fired two ballistic missiles towards the Sea of Japan, the Yonhap news agency reported on Saturday, citing the South Korean military.
Japanese Deputy Defense Minister Toshiro Ino, in turn, told reporters that “for the first time ever, North Korea conducted four missile tests in a week.” “Such an escalation threatens the security of Japan, the region and the international community, therefore we protested through our embassy in Beijing,” he added.
According to Ino, one of the missiles fired on Saturday flew for up to 400 kilometers and the second one flew for about 350 kilometers, both presumably falling into the sea outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
US Vice President Kamala Harris made a one-day trip to South Korea on Thursday. She visited the demilitarized zone on the border with North Korea, reiterated Washington’s commitment to protecting its ally and lambasted Pyongyang for violating human rights. The parties also expressed concern about North Korea’s missile and nuclear program.
