North Korea fired at least three suspected short-range ballistic missiles Saturday, adding to its record number of launches this year as Kim Jong Un leads a major political meeting to set policy for 2023.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea fired the barrage from an area south of Pyongyang in North Hwanghae province toward waters off its east coast. Japan said the three missiles, launched from around 8 a.m. Saturday, flew about 350 kilometers (217 miles) in distance at a maximum altitude of about 100 kilometers.
While the missiles did not pose an immediate threat to the U.S. or its allies, the launches highlighted “the destabilizing impact” of North Korea’s ballistic missile programs, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement.
