OAN Deven Berryhill
UPDATED 6:00 PM PT – Monday, March 13, 2023
North Korea claimed to have launched two short-range ballistic missiles towards the Sea of Japan over the weekend.
“North Korea fires unidentified ballistic missile towards the East Sea,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
According to North Korean state television, North Korea fired two missiles towards the Sea of Japan pre-empting annual military drills by the United States and South Korea.
“Tokyo was aware of the launches, and was collecting information. There were no reports of damage from the firing,” Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said.
The official Korean Central News Agency reported that the two strategic cruise missiles “precisely hit” preset targets in the Sea of Japan after traveling for 1,500 kilometers along figure-eight-shaped flight paths for more than two hours.
U.S. military experts have concluded that the North Korean strategic missiles would be within striking distance of Japan, including key U.S. military bases.
Last month, Pyongyang issued multiple warnings against the scheduled drill.
“Every movement of the enemy and take corresponding and very powerful and overwhelming counteraction against its every move hostile to us,” Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said.
The North Korean missile launch came on the eve of President Joe Biden’s meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The three leaders were scheduled to meet on Monday to share defense technologies and equip Australian forces with nuclear-powered submarines.
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