North Korea Fires Two More Missiles In Latest Escalation

On Thursday, North Korea again launched two short-range ballistic missiles in Japan's direction, Seoul and Tokyo confirm. 

Earlier, North Korea had launched a lone intermediate-range ballistic missile over Japan, which fell in the Sea of Japan. 

On consecutive missile tests, Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said, "Just counting from the end of September, this is the sixth time in a short timeframe and this can’t be allowed.”

President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea said, "I realise that the people are concerned, but our administration will look after the people's lives and safety by establishing a strong South Korea-US alliance and security cooperation between South Korea, the US and Japan."

The Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea said in a statement that the missiles were launched from 22 minutes' distance from Pyongyang. The first missile travelled 350 kilometres and the second, 900 kilometres.

Yasukazu Hamada, the defence minister of Japan, said that the second missile had no fixed trajectory and flew at a comparatively low height of 60 kilometres. Missiles launched at a low altitude can dodge missile defences. 

South Korea and the US launched joint missiles on Wednesday in retaliation to North Korea's missile launch on Tuesday.

The Foreign Ministry of North Korea accused Seoul and Washington of "escalating the military tensions on the Korean Peninsula" by holding the biggest joint military exercises in five years an hour before its second missile launch on Thursday.

The US's decision to relocate its newest aircraft carrier, the USS Ronald Reagan, off the coast of South Korea was denounced by North Korea.

The launch of a missile on Thursday was described as a danger to the world community by a US State Department official, who also said that Washington is committed to the talks and discussions.