North Korea fired multiple cruise missiles into the waters off its western coast on Tuesday, South Korea’s military said, the third time Pyongyang has test-launched missiles in less than a week.
The missiles were detected around 7 a.m., South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said, adding that the South Korean and U.S. militaries are analyzing the launches.
No details were immediately provided about how many missiles were fired, how far they flew or whether they were launched from land or sea.
The launches followed tests on Jan. 24 and Jan. 28 of the Pulhwasal-3-31 cruise missile North Korea says is designed to be fired from submarines.
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A TV screen shows a file image of North Korea’s missile launch during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) previously said both missiles launched on Jan. 28 flew over the sea of the country’s east coast for over two hours – 7,421 seconds and 7,445 seconds – before hitting an unspecified island target.
A view of what appears to be a submarine-launched cruise missile test at an undisclosed location in North Korea in this picture released by the Korean Central News Agency on Jan. 28. (KCNA via REUTERS)
After the first test flight of the cruise missile on Jan. 24, the state media outlet said the missile could eventually carry nuclear weapons.
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Tensions in the region have increased in recent months as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un continues to accelerate his weapons development and provocative threats to the U.S. and its Asian allies. In response, the United States, South Korea and Japan have been continuing their combined military exercises, which Kim condemns.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends a submarine-launched cruise missile test at an undisclosed location in North Korea in this picture released by the Korean Central News Agency on Jan. 28. (KCNA via REUTERS)
Over the past few months, North Korea has tested several types of weapons, including ballistic missile systems being developed and an underwater drone.
Fox News’ Greg Wehner and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
