North Korea fires volley of short-range ballistic missiles

South Korea and US condemn launch and urge Pyongyang to ‘refrain from further unlawful and destabilising acts’.

North Korea has launched multiple short-range ballistic missiles, South Korea’s military said, as it continues to develop its military weaponry in breach of international sanctions.

The 10 missiles were launched from the Sunan area at about 6:14am on Thursday (21:14 GMT on Wednesday) towards the east, South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff said in a statement.

The statement said the missiles travelled about 350 kilometres (217 miles) before ditching into the sea.

The military said the launch was a “clear provocation” on the part of Pyongyang and “seriously threatens the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula”.

The missile launch comes three days after North Korea’s attempt to put a second spy satellite into orbit ended in failure when the rocket carrying the equipment exploded in midair.