(Seoul) North Korea fired several cruise missiles towards the Sea of Japan on Wednesday, the South Korean military announced, the latest launches in a series of weapons tests conducted by Pyongyang this year.
“Our military detected several unknown cruise missiles in the waters northeast of Wonsan around 9 a.m. today (7 p.m. Eastern Time) and South Korean and U.S. intelligence services are conducting detailed analysis” , the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement.
The JCS added that it was “strengthening surveillance and vigilance” and “closely monitoring any additional signs or activities by North Korea.”
On Monday, Pyongyang announced that it had tested a new multiple rocket launcher control system that it believes could significantly strengthen its defense capabilities.
Nuclear-armed North Korea this year declared South Korea its “primary enemy,” closed agencies dedicated to reunification, and threatened war over any territorial violations.
Pyongyang has increased its military equipment tests, including testing what it has described as an “undersea nuclear weapons system” and a solid-fuel hypersonic ballistic missile.
North Korea’s military this year also launched a series of cruise missiles, a type of weapon the North could supply to Russia for use in the Ukraine conflict, analysts say.
Pyongyang and Moscow have strengthened ties in recent months, with leader Kim Jong-un making a rare trip to Russia to meet President Vladimir Putin in September.
South Korea and the United States maintain that despite UN sanctions, the North is sending weapons to Russia, possibly in exchange for technical assistance with its spy satellite program.
Unlike ballistic missiles, cruise missile tests are not prohibited by current United Nations sanctions against Pyongyang.
Tests of cruise missiles, which fly in the atmosphere, do not fall under the sanctions imposed by the UN on North Korea, unlike ballistic missiles, whose trajectory is mainly in space.