Tokyo - KUNA
North Korea fired one short-range missile into the East Sea (Sea of Japan) on Monday, Seoul's Yonhap News Agency reported, citing the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).
The projectile was fired at around 10:30 a.m. (0130 GMT) from a site in Chagang Province near North Korea's border with China, the report said. It was presumed to have landed in the East Sea (Sea of Japan) after flying some 220 kilometers, according to the JCS.
"It is the first time that Pyongyang fired a short-range projectile from the province, just 60 kilometers away from its border with China," a JCS officer said, noting that North Korea is known to have an underground base for Scud missiles in the region. While the military "is analyzing what type of missile the North launched and what lies behind its test-firing," the officer said that it is presumed to be a Scud or a new type of tactical missile.
Monday's firing marked the 18th time that Pyongyang has launched missiles or rockets this year, with the number projectiles fired totaling 108, the JCS said.