North Korea Fires 2 Ballistic Missiles, in Apparent Challenge to US

North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast early Thursday, South Korea said, a move apparently aimed at increasing Pyongyang’s leverage in nuclear talks with the United States.

South Korea’s National Security Council determined North Korea fired a “new type of short-range ballistic missile,” the presidential Blue House said in a message to reporters. The NSC expressed “strong concern” about the launch, saying it does not help reduce military tensions.

The missiles were launched from around North Korea’s eastern city of Wonsan in an eastward direction before splashing into the sea, South Korea’s military said. The first missile traveled an estimated 430 kilometers and the second traveled 690 kilometers, it added.

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