North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters on Friday, its latest weapons demonstration that came days after U.S. and South Korean warplanes conducted joint drills that North Korea views as an invasion rehearsal.
North Korea has conducted an unprecedented number of missile tests this year in what some experts call an attempt to bolster its weapons capability and pressure its rivals to make concessions such as sanctions relief in future negotiations. Recently, the North also performed major tests needed to acquire its first spy satellite and a more mobile intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.
Japanese Vice Defence Minister Toshiro Ino said that one missile detected by Japan flew as far as 300 kilometres at a maximum altitude of 50 kilometres . He said that missile might have showed an "irregular" trajectory, a possible reference to North Korea's highly maneuverable, nuclear-capable KN-23 missile, which was modeled on Russia's Iskander missile.
The latest U.S.-South Korean drills drew B-52 nuclear-capable bombers and F-22 stealth fighter jets from the United States and other advanced warplanes from South Korea. The training was part of a bilateral agreement on boosting a U.S. commitment to defend its Asian ally with all available military capabilities, including nuclear, according to South Korea's Defence Ministry.
Some civilian experts in South Korea said the photos were too crude for surveillance purposes and that the launches were likely a cover for tests of North Korea's missile technology. South Korea's military has maintained North Korea fired two medium-range ballistic missiles.
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