Asia

North Korea's Launch of Projectiles May Be Part of Drills, Contradicts Agreements - Seoul

SEOUL (Sputnik) - The projectiles launched by North Korea on Monday toward the Sea of Japan may have been a part of a military exercise, and they go against the inter-Korean military deal, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.
Sputnik
"The launches this time are likely to be a continuation of the joint military exercises, which started on February 28 and March 2 … We deeply regret North Korea’s actions that are contrary to [inter-korean] military agreement signed on September 19, 2018, which included an agreement to make efforts to reduce military tensions on the Korean Peninsula and build a trustworthy relationship," JCS said.

The projectiles, launched from the eastern town of Sondok in North Korea’s South Hamgyong Province, flew 200 kilometers (124 miles), with the maximum altitude of 50 kilometers (31 miles).

Earlier in the day, the South Korean Yonhap News Agency reported citing the JCS that Pyongyang launched three unidentified projectiles. The Japanese government suspects that the projectiles launched by Pyongyang on Monday were ballistic missiles, the Japanese Kyodo news agency said.

On March 2, North Korea launched two unidentified projectiles into the Sea of Japan from the region near the city of Wonsan. 

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