North Korea Holds ‘Scorched Earth’ Missile Test to Defy US
- Two short-range missiles fired to waters off its east coast
- US, Japan and South Korea held anti-missile drill this week
People watch a television broadcast about a North Korean rocket launch in Seoul, South Korea.
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North Korea test-fired two suspected ballistic missiles about a week after it failed to put a spy satellite into orbit, in a show of defiance after the US sent a B-1B strategic bomber to airspace off the peninsula for military drills with South Korea.
Two short-range ballistic missiles were fired at about 11:40 p.m. and 11:50 p.m. Wednesday night from an area near Pyongyang’s main international airport toward waters off its east coast, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The missiles flew about 360 kilometers (225 miles), and were “grave acts of provocation that undermine peace and stability,” it said in a statement to reporters.