TOKYO, Jan 17 (KUNA) -- North Korea fired two suspected short-range ballistic missiles eastward from an airfield in Pyongyang on Monday, South Korea's military said, according to Yonhap News Agency.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the projectiles fired from the Sunan airport at 8:50 a.m. and 8:54 a.m. (2350 and 2354 GMT Sunday), respectively, and that they flew about 380 km at an altitude of 42 km.
"For more specific information, the intelligence authorities of South Korea and the US are conducting a detailed analysis," the JCS said without further elaboration. "Currently, our military is tracking and monitoring related (North Korean) movements and maintaining a readiness posture," it added.
The latest launch came just three days after the North launched two suspected short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea (Sea of Japan) that it later claimed to be guided missiles fired by a railway-borne regiment during a firing drill.
The US Indo-Pacific Command said it was aware of the "ballistic missile launches" but assessed the latest event "does not pose an immediate threat to US personnel or territory or to our allies." Last week, the North warned of a "stronger and certain reaction" to the US' recent imposition of fresh sanctions on six North Koreans involved in the regime's weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs.
The North also test-fired its self-proclaimed hypersonic missile on Jan. 5 and on Tuesday last week, ratcheting up tensions amid an impasse in nuclear negotiations with the US. (end) mk.mt