N. KOREA FIRES BALLISTIC MISSILES

[Anchor Lead]

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff says that North Korea fired what appears to be short-range ballistic missile on Thursday morning. Amid tighter monitoring and vigilance, the military is now analyzing information about the projectiles.

[Pkg]

​Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff announced North Korea fired two projectiles at around 8 a.m. Thursday local time. The apparent short-range ballistic missiles were seen launched into the East Sea from Hamheung, Hamgyongnam-do Province. Seoul and Washington's intel authorities are working to identify their flight distance, altitude and other details. The South Korean military is monitoring the regime in real time. While strengthening surveillance and vigilance, the military is maintaining a full readiness posture in close cooperation with the U.S. This marks the sixth such weapons test Pyongyang carried out this year. Starting with the January 5 firing of the projectiles it claimed as hypersonic missiles, the regime already conducted four ballistic missile launches. On Tuesday, the reclusive state fired two projectiles believed to be cruise missiles. It also warned last Thursday that it will review all trust-building measures with the U.S. and consider resuming all activities that were temporarily suspended. Observers interpreted this warning as a signal to backpedal on the promise to halt nuclear and ICBM tests, which the North has kept for around four years.