Updated Jul 25, 2019

North Korea fires 2 missiles into Sea of Japan, Seoul says

Photo: STR/AFP/Getty Images

North Korea has launched 2 short-range missiles 267 miles into the Sea of Japan, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said, according to AP.

Why it matters: This is the first report of North Korea firing projectiles since President Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in met with Kim Jong Un at the Demilitarized Zone last month. A South Korean official said at least 1 of the missiles appeared to be a new design, per the BBC.

Details: The projectiles reached an altitude of 30 miles before plummeting into the sea, after being launched early on Thursday local time from an area near Wonsan, on North Korea’s eastern coast, an official at South Korea’s Defense Ministry said, per Reuters.

The big picture: North Korea is unhappy with planned U.S.-South Korean military drills, AP reports.

This article has been updated with more details of the incident and more context.

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North Korea claims it tested "super-large" multiple rocket launcher

People watching a TV showing an image of a North Korean missile launch at the Seoul Railway Station on Aug. 10 in Seoul, South Korea. Photo: Chung Sung-Jun / Staff/ Getty Images

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised the test-firing of a "newly developed super-large multiple rocket launcher," the country's state-run KCNA news agency reports.

Why it matters: This appears to be yet another demonstration of North Korea expanding its weapons arsenal apparently with the intention of increasing leverage ahead of the possible resumption of negotiations with the U.S. to denuclearize, as AP points out.

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Orion Rummler, Rebecca Falconer

North Korea fires more short-range missiles off eastern coast

Trump stands at the DMZ line of demarcation to meet Kim Jong-un on June 30. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

North Korea fired 2 short-range ballistic missiles off its eastern coast early on Wednesday, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Why it matters: The projectiles did not pose a threat to the United States or its allies, a U.S. official told CNN, but North Korea nonetheless has appeared to have conducted its second missile test in a week. President Trump has repeatedly downplayed North Korea's missile tests since meeting Kim Jong-un at the demilitarized zone (DMZ) last month.

Go deeperUpdated Jul 31, 2019

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North Korea: No talks unless U.S. military exercises with Seoul end

Kim Jong-un. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

There will not be inter-Korean talks unless the U.S. and South Korea end joint military exercises that put North Korea as "an enemy," a Pyongyang official said Saturday, according to state media.

Why it matters: The announcement came hours after North Korea launched projectiles from its eastern coast — the latest in a series of weapons tests since North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and President Trump agreed to resume denuclearization talks at a June 30 meeting.

What they're saying: The state-run KCNA reports that Kim had "guided the test-fire of a new weapon," without specifying the type of system. Trump tweeted earlier that Kim has expressed a desire to restart negotiations.

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