N Korea test-fires two missiles, Japan calls for emergency UNSC meeting

Seoul, February 20

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North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea east of its coast on Monday in its second missile test in three days, prompting Tokyo to request an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

Monday’s tests continue a tit-for-tat exchange that began on Saturday, and follow a year in which North Korea launched more than 70 missiles, the most ever. Pyongyang has recently escalated nuclear threats and threatened an “unprecedentedly” strong response to annual US-South Korea military drills, which it views as preparation for an invasion.

South Korea’s military said it detected two missile launches on Monday morning from a town on North Korea’s west coast, just north of the capital, Pyongyang. Japan said both missiles landed in waters outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone and that no damage to aircraft or vessels was reported. — AP