North Korea fires missiles: North Korea on Wednesday fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea after a day of the inaugural session of the US-South Korea security dialogue, according to Yonhap news agency reported.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) condemned the action as “acts of significant provocation” that harms peace not only on the Korean Peninsula but also in the international community. They referred it as “clear” violation of UN Security Council resolutions. The JCS South Korea said that the launches were detected from the Sunan area in Pyongyang between 3:30 am and 3:46 am (local time), and they flew some 550 kilometres before splashing into the sea.

“Our military will maintain a firm readiness posture based on capabilities to respond overwhelmingly to any North Korean provocations,” the Yonhap news agency quoted the JCS as saying in a text message sent to reporters.

Meanwhile, the short-range ballistic missiles firing came when the inaugural meeting of the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) between South Korea and the United States are underway in Seoul.

The meeting coincided with the arrival of USS Kentucky at a key naval base in Busan, 320 kilometres southeast of Seoul, marking the first port visit by an American nuclear-capable strategic submarine (SSBN) since USS Robert E. Lee in March 1981.

Earlier on June 12, Pyongyang test-fired a Hwasong-18 solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on July 12, Yonhap news agency reported.