North Korea fires 8 short-range ballistic missiles toward East Sea

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presides over a Politburo meeting on May 29 at the headquarters of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea in Pyongyang. [YONHAP]

North Korea fired eight short-range ballistic missiles into waters off its east coast on Sunday morning, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

The missiles were fired between 9:08 a.m. and 9:43 a.m. from the Sunan area of the North Korean capital Pyongyang. How high and far the missiles flew is being analyzed, the JCS said.

Citing multiple Tokyo government officials, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported that it appeared the missiles fell outside its exclusive economic zone.

South Korea’s presidential office said Kim Sung-han, President Yoon Suk-yeol’s national security adviser, will preside over a meeting with members of the National Security Council (NSC) Standing Committee to discuss the missiles. Yoon could preside over an NSC plenary session “if necessary,” Yoon’s office said.

Sunday’s tests marked the North’s 18th launch this year, the third since Yoon took office on May 10.

The last time North Korea fired missiles was on May 25, as U.S. President Joe Biden was returning home following a trip to South Korea and Japan.

The latest tests came a day after South Korea and the U.S. completed a three-day combined naval exercise involving nuclear-powered aircraft in international waters near Japan’s Okinawa.

BY LEE SUNG-EUN [lee.sungeun@joongang.co.kr]