North Korea fires ‘unidentified projectiles’ into sea: Seoul

Seoul, August 24

North Korea on Saturday fired two “unidentified projectiles” into the sea off its eastern coast, South Korea’s military said, the latest in a series of launches by Pyongyang.

“Our military is tracking the movement in the North in case of additional launches,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

South Korea’s presidential Blue House said it would hold a National Security Council meeting following the North’s latest weapons test.

The launch comes after Pyongyang made a scathing attack on Friday on US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, calling him a “diehard toxin” following the US diplomat’s comment that the US would continue the “toughest” sanctions on the North until the reclusive state denuclearised.

The nuclear-armed state has carried out several short-range missile tests in recent weeks in protest against the US-South Korean military exercises, which it sees as a rehearsal for invasion.

The latest joint drill wrapped up on Tuesday.

Nuclear talks between Pyongyang and Washington have been gridlocked since a second summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump in Hanoi in February collapsed without an agreement over the extent of denuclearisation in the North and sanctions relief.

Earlier this week, Stephen Biegun, the US special envoy for North Korea, said during a visit to Seoul that the US was “prepared to engage” as soon as it heard from Pyongyang. AFP