North Korea fires missiles toward sea after ridiculing South’s hopes for better ties

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea Wednesday in its second launch event in two days, South Korea’s military said, hours after a senior North Korean official released crude insults against Seoul’s hopes for warmer relations.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said several missiles lifted off from North Korea’s eastern coastal Wonsan area on Wednesday morning and flew about 240 kilometers (150 miles) each in a direction toward the North’s eastern waters.

It said an additional North Korean ballistic missile fired later Wednesday traveled more than 700 kilometers off the North’s east coast. Japan’s Defense Ministry said it assesses that the missile fell in waters outside the country’s exclusive economic zone.

South Korea’s military said it maintains a readiness to repel any provocations by North Korea under a solid military alliance with the United States. It earlier said it detected the launch of an unidentified projectile from North Korea’s capital region on Tuesday.