Defense & Security

North Korea has launched 2 ballistic missiles, Japan defense minister announces

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
The Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo

The Yomiuri Shimbun

11:10 JST, October 6, 2022

North Korea launched two ballistic missiles at around 6:00 a.m. and 6:15 a.m. Thursday, Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada has announced.

Both missiles were launched toward the east and likely fell into the Sea of Japan near the eastern coast of North Korea, outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

According to Hamada, the first missile had a maximum altitude of about 100 kilometers and flew for about 350 kilometers. The second missile had a maximum altitude of about 50 kilometers and flew for about 800 kilometers. The second missile may have had an irregular trajectory.

The government strongly condemned North Korea and lodged a protest through its embassy in Beijing.

“North Korea is persistently and unilaterally escalating its provocations. North Korea’s actions threaten the peace and security of our country, region and the international community, and are absolutely unacceptable,” Hamada told reporters at the Defense Ministry.