North Korea launched several cruise missiles into the waters off its eastern coast, as announced by the South Korean military on Sunday, January 28th.
In recent months, the nuclear-armed communist state has repeatedly tested missiles, escalating regional tensions. The launch on Sunday occurred near the port of Sinpo. The number and type of missiles are not yet known.
On Wednesday, North Korea tested a new strategic cruise missile named Pulhwasal-3-31, according to the South Korean news agency Yonhap.
Reporting the latest launch, which took place at 08:00 AM (23:00 GMT Saturday), the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) stated,
"Our military has closely coordinated with the United States to monitor additional signs of provocations from North Korea."
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has become increasingly aggressive in his political direction and rhetoric in recent months, ending several agreements aimed at maintaining peace and halting military actions.
Pyongyang has claimed testing of a new solid-fuel missile and its underwater attack drones, which are believed to be capable of carrying a nuclear weapon, since the beginning of January.
These follow two years of near-monthly missile launches and weapons development, in blatant violation of UN sanctions.
Earlier this month, Kim Jong Un declared that the former fundamental objective of reunification with South Korea has ended, designating the South as the "main enemy."
This has led to concerns that North Korea is preparing for war. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stated to his cabinet this month that if the North carries out a provocation, the South will "respond several times more powerfully," highlighting the South Korean military's "overwhelming response capabilities."
