North Korea test-fires 2 more missiles as tensions rise

North Korea fired two shortrange ballistic missile toward waters off its eastern coast Monday adding to a recent flurry in weapons tests as the United States prepared to deploy an aircraft carrier strike group to neighboring waters to step up military exercises with the SouthSouth Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles flew crosscountry after being fired from a western inland area south of the North Korean capital of Pyongyang but didnt immediately release specific flight details Japans coast guard said it believed both weapons landed outside Japans exclusive economic zoneThe launches were the Norths seventh missile event this month and underscore heightening military tensions in the region as the pace of both North Korean weapons tests and the USSouth Korea joint military exercises has accelerated in recent months in a cycle of titfortat responsesThe allies last week completed an 11day exercise that included their biggest field training in years But North Korea is expected to further step up its testing activity as the United States moves an aircraft carrier group to the peninsula this week for another round of joint drillsNorth Korea has fired more than 20 ballistic and cruise missiles across 11 launch events this year as it tries to force the United States to accept its nuclear status and negotiate a removal of sanctions from a position of strengthAlso read North Korea calls UN chiefs remarks on missile test unfairNorth Koreas launches this month included a flighttest of an intercontinental ballistic missile and a series of shortrange weapons intended to overwhelm South Korean missile defenses as it tries to demonstrate an ability to conduct nuclear strikes on both South Korea and the US mainlandThe North last week conducted what it described as a threeday exercise that simulated nuclear attacks on South Korean targets as leader Kim Jong Un condemned the USSouth Korean joint military drills as invasion rehearsals The allies say the exercises are defensive in natureThe Norths tests also included a purported nuclearcapable underwater drone that the North claimed is capable of setting off a huge iquestradioactive tsunamiiquest that would destroy naval vessels and portsAnalysts were skeptical about the North Korean claims about the drone or whether the device presents a major new threat but the tests underlined the Norths commitment to expand its nuclear threatsFollowing the Norths announcement of the drone test on Friday South Koreas air force released details of a fiveday joint aerial drill with the United States last week that included livefire demonstrations of airtoair and airtoground weapons The air force said the exercise was aimed at verifying precision strike capabilities and reaffirming the credibility of Seouls iquestthreeaxisiquest strategy against North Korean nuclear threats iquest preemptively striking sources of attacks intercepting incoming missiles and neutralizing the Norths leadership and key military facilitiesNorth Korea already is coming off a record year in weapons testing launching more than 70 missiles in 2022 when it also set into law an escalatory nuclear doctrine that authorizes preemptive nuclear strikes in a broad range of scenarios where it may perceive its leadership as under threat APThis message and the attachments hereto if any hereinafter referred to as ldquothe informationrdquo is confidential and privileged communication intended solely for the use of the individual or entity that it is addressed and others authorized to receive it The disclosure distribution copying or reuse of the information or any content thereof without express authorization is strictly prohibited If you have received this message in error please advise the sender by return email at emailadminjagrancom and delete the message from your systemAlthough the company has taken reasonable precautions to ensure no viruses are present in this email the company cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage arising from the use of this email or attachments Email transmission cannot be guaranteed to be secure or errorfree as information could be intercepted corrupted lost destroyed arrive late or incomplete or contain virusesThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever