North fires two missiles after U.S. nuclear sub docks in South

A North Korean Hwasong-18 solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile is seen taking off in this photo taken by the state-controlled Korean Central News Agency on July 12. [YONHAP]

North Korea launched two ballistic missiles into the East Sea late Monday night after a nuclear-powered U.S. submarine arrived in South Korea on the same day.

Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the South Korean military detected the firing of two short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM) from the Pyongyang area to the East Sea at 11:55 p.m. Monday and Tuesday midnight.

The JCS said the two missiles each flew approximately 400 kilometers (250 miles) before landing in the sea.

The missile launches took place two days after North Korea fired several cruise missiles toward the Yellow Sea on Saturday and five days after the North fired two SRBMS into the East Sea on Wednesday.

The South Korean and U.S. intelligence are analyzing to determine the exact type of the launched missiles, the JCS said.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]