A man watches a news broadcast with file footage of a North Korean missile test at a railway station in Seoul on Nov. 3, 2022. Photo : Jung Yeon-je / AFP via Getty Images
North Korea fired four short-range ballistic missiles from its west coast Saturday, further escalating tension with the U.S. and South Korea, per AP.
Driving the news: The missiles flew about 80 miles into the country’s western sea around noon local time, AP reports.
- Meanwhile, the U.S. and South Korea continued joint military drills, sending two supersonic bombers streaking over South Korea in a display of military strength amid growing tensions in the region.
Flashback: Saturday's launch comes days after North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile over its eastern waters Thursday, along with five other short-range missiles, triggering alarms in Japan and drawing condemnation.
- A day before that, North Korea fired 23 missiles — the most it's ever tested in one day.
The big picture: The launches this week are the latest escalation in a series of missile tests by North Korea recently, including a missile launched over Japan last month and a ballistic missile fired toward South Korea the day before Vice President Kamala Harris was set to arrive, Axios' Ivana Saric reports.