North Korea fires volley of short-range ballistic missiles

South Korea and US condemn launch and urge Pyongyang to ‘refrain from further unlawful and destabilising acts’.

North Korea has launched multiple short-range ballistic missiles, South Korea’s military said, as it continues to develop its military weaponry in breach of international sanctions.

The 10 missiles were launched from the Sunan area at about 6:14am on Thursday (21:14 GMT on Wednesday) towards the east, South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff said in a statement.

The statement said the missiles travelled about 350 kilometres (217 miles) before ditching into the sea.

The military said the launch was a “clear provocation” on the part of Pyongyang and “seriously threatens the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula”.

The missile launch comes three days after North Korea’s attempt to put a second spy satellite into orbit ended in failure when the rocket carrying the equipment exploded in midair.

Leader Kim Jong Un has made developing more sophisticated weaponry and military equipment a cornerstone of his efforts to modernise North Korea’s armed forces. He has deepened relations with Russia and has been accused of providing weapons for Moscow to use against Ukraine in return for Russian technological expertise.

The United States, a close ally of South Korea, condemned the launch with the Indo-Pacific Command urging North Korea to “refrain from further unlawful and destabilising acts.”

Pyongyang is banned from testing ballistic missiles under United Nations sanctions imposed over its nuclear programme.

An official at South Korea’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations told the Yonhap news agency that the Security Council was expected to hold an open meeting on Friday in New York to discuss the failed satellite launch. Such launches are also a violation of UN sanctions because they involve similar technology to ballistic missiles.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was among those condemning Monday’s launch, urging Pyongyang to return to dialogue.