North Korea Fires Short-Range Ballistic Missile Toward Sea, South Korea Says

North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile and other projectiles toward the sea on Tuesday, South Korea’s military said, in the latest in a series of weapons tests this year.

The missile, launched from Jongju near the country’s west coast, flew about 80 kilometers (50 miles), South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The launch direction points toward the Yellow Sea, also known as the West Sea, which separates the Korean Peninsula and China.

The military said additional types of projectiles were also launched but did not provide further details.

South Korea’s armed forces, in coordination with the United States, said they are maintaining readiness to respond to any provocations from North Korea and have strengthened surveillance activities.

It was North Korea’s first weapons test since April 19, when it fired multiple short-range missiles in what state media described as a demonstration involving cluster warheads.

North Korea has continued to expand its nuclear and missile programs since the collapse of nuclear talks with former U.S. President Donald Trump in 2019.