SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Tuesday fired three ballistic missiles into its eastern sea in an apparent protest of South Korea’s decision to allow the deployment of an advanced U.S. missile defense system in the country, Seoul officials said.
The missiles launched from a western North Korea town flew across the country before crashing into the waters off its east coast, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
Two of them flew about 500 to 600 kilometers (310 to 375 miles), displaying a sufficient range to reach entire South Korea, JCS spokesman Jeon Ha Gyu said. He said South Korea’s military was analyzing how far the third missile flew. An earlier JCS statement said all three flew about 500 to 600 kilometers.
A statement from the Pentagon said that U.S. Strategic Command systems tracked “what we assess were three North Korean missile launches.” It said two were presumed to be Scud tactical ballistic missiles, followed by the presumed launch of a Rodong intermediate range ballistic missile.
It said the missile launches did not pose a threat to North America.
North Korea routinely tests short-range missiles and artillery systems but the latest launches came days after the country warned of unspecified “physical counter-action” over the deployment of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, system in the southern town of Seongju.
