One of the medium-range missiles fell into the sea after flying about 500 miles across the country, while the other disappeared from radar shortly after launch, suggesting that it may have exploded or otherwise failed, South Korea’s Yonhap News quoted officials as saying.
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North Korea has been hit by five sets of United Nations sanctions since it first tested an atomic device in 2006. The Rodong is a scaled-up Scud variant with a maximum range of around 1,300 kilometres.
Tensions rose sharply in the Korean peninsula, after the North conducted nuclear tests earlier this year.
“The U.S. imperialists and the south Korean puppet forces have pushed the situation to the point of explosion by resorting to ugly provocations”, North Korea said.
Friday’s launch came as North Korea reacts to ongoing annual South Korean-U.S. military drills that it sees as an invasion rehearsal.
“We have seen reports that North Korea launched a ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan”, said Kirby.
Pyongyang launched its latest provocation on Friday morning, firing two medium range ballistic missiles from its east coast and sending them about 800 km into the sea.
On Tuesday, North Korean leader Kim vowed a nuclear test “in a short time” as well as tests of several kinds of ballistic rockets capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
“North Korea appears to be speeding up test launches to advance its nuclear capabilities”, ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun said.
South Korea and USA officials this month began discussions on deploying the advanced anti-missile Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system to the U.S. military in the South, despite Chinese and Russian objections.
Visitors stand near a signboard showing the distance to the North Korea’s capital Pyongyang and to South Korea’s capital Seoul from Imjingang Station near the border village of the Panmunjom in Paju, South Korea, Friday, March 18, 2016.
North Korea also fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea earlier in March.
They appeared to be medium-range Rodong missiles fired from road-mobile launch vehicles.
The resolution followed North Korea’s latest nuclear test on January 6 and a February 7 rocket launch that Washington and its allies said used banned ballistic missile technology.
“We once again urged the DPRK (North Korea) to comply with its worldwide obligations, including relevant Security Council resolutions and halt these inflammatory and escalatory actions”, said Dujarric.
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South Korea’s Unification Ministry said Pyongyang should focus on improving the lives of its people and that provocative actions would help nothing.
