South says North Korea fires missiles as Kim’s sister rails against U.S. presence in region

North Korea fired two ballistic missiles off its east coast, the South Korean military said on Friday, as the powerful brother of leader Kim Jong-un warned of turning the Pacific into a “firing range,” heightening tensions in the region.

Japan’s coast guard said North Korea fired three projectiles that may have been ballistic missiles shortly after 2200 GMT, all falling within minutes. All three landed outside Japan’s EEZ, public broadcaster NHK said.

The launch came just two days after North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the sea off Japan’s west coast, in what it called a “surprise launch exercise.”

North Korean leader Kim Yo-jong’s sister issued a statement warning of an increase in US strategic assets on the Korean peninsula, after the US held bilateral joint air drills with South Korea and Japan on Sunday in response to the North’s ICBMs. start.

“We are carefully examining the impact this will have on our national security,” he said in a statement. “The frequency of using the Pacific as our firing range depends on the character of US forces’ actions.”

Kim Yo-jong also disputed expert assessments of the missile’s capabilities after some claimed it took more than nine hours for the “sudden” missile launch following an order from leader Kim. He said South Korea was not flying reconnaissance aircraft at the time of the launch.

“They will defend the fact that the reconnaissance plane was not flying at that time by saying that they were monitoring it in a special way and way according to the ‘close cooperation between the intelligence authorities of South Korea and the US,'” he said. .

Kim Yo-jong said the North has “satisfactory” technology and missile capabilities, and “will now focus on increasing the number of its troops.”

Monday’s missile launch was the North’s third major weapons test this year after Pyongyang threatened a “sustained, strong” response as South Korea and the United States prepare for annual military exercises as part of efforts to counter the growing nuclear and missile threat. pointed by the North.