Muristek
Seoul, June 5
North Korea fired eight short-range ballistic missiles towards the sea off its east coast on Sunday, likely its largest single test, a day after South Korea and the United States ended joint military drills.
The bilateral exercises involved an American aircraft carrier for the first time in more than four years.
At least eight missiles were fired from the Sunan area of the North Korean capital Pyongyang, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
Japanese Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi said the North had launched multiple missiles, and that the act "cannot be tolerated". He said at a briefing that at least one missile had a variable trajectory, which indicates it could manoeuvre to evade missile defences.
The US Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement that North Korea's multiple ballistic missile launches highlighted the destabilising impact of its illicit weapons program but that the event didn't pose an immediate threat.
Michael Duitsman, with the US-based James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, said it appeared to be the largest single test ever by North Korea. A large number of missiles suggests a military drill or show of force, rather than a test of new technology.
The launch followed a visit to Seoul by the US point man on North Korean affairs, US Special Representative Sung Kim, who departed on Saturday.
He met his South Korean and Japanese counterparts, Kim Gunn and Takehiro Funakoshi, on Friday to prepare for "all contingencies" amid signs North Korea was preparing to conduct a nuclear test for the first time since 2017.
In recent weeks, North Korea has test-fired a range of missiles, including its largest intercontinental ballistic missile.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol had agreed with Biden to increase bilateral military drills to deter North Korea.
North Korea has criticised previous joint drills as an example of Washington's continued "hostile policies" towards Pyongyang, despite its talk of diplomacy.