SEOUL, April 8. /TASS/. The latest missile launched by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) flew about 700 km, the Yonhap news agency reported, citing the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) of the Republic of Korea.
According to Seoul, the short-range ballistic missile was launched from the Wonsan area toward the Sea of Japan on Wednesday at around 2:20 p.m. local time (8:20 a.m. Moscow time, 11:50 p.m. Tuesday GMT).
Before noon local time, North Korea launched several more short-range ballistic missiles, the JCS reported. The missiles launched this morning flew about 240 km. The Republic of Korea military believes the missiles were launched from the KN-23 system. Seoul also reported missile launches the day before. Some speculate that the KN-25 600mm multiple launch rocket system was tested.
The National Security Directorate of the South Korean Presidential Administration held an emergency meeting this morning and condemned the ballistic missile launches as a violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
On Monday, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung apologized to North Korea for the private launch of drones into the DPRK. North Korean Chairman of State Affairs Kim Jong Un called it "the act of a magnanimous person." On Tuesday, the South Korean Ministry of Unification called this reaction "progress" in bilateral relations. Later, in response to this interpretation, the North Korean Foreign Ministry emphasized that "the essence of the Republic of Korea as the most hostile state to the DPRK cannot be changed.".