North Korea Launches Multiple Ballistic Missiles

North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles toward the sea off its east coast on Sunday morning, marking the latest in a series of weapons tests this year, according to officials in South Korea and Japan.

The launches occurred around 6:10 a.m. local time from the Sinpo area in North Korea's eastern region, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. The missiles appeared to land in waters near the Korean Peninsula, outside Japan's exclusive economic zone, with no immediate reports of damage or incursions into neighboring airspace or territorial waters. This incident represents North Korea's seventh ballistic missile launch of the year and its fourth in April alone.

South Korea responded by enhancing its surveillance efforts and coordinating closely with the United States and Japan to monitor the situation. The presidential office in Seoul convened an emergency National Security Council meeting to assess the launches and discuss potential countermeasures. "We are maintaining a firm readiness posture," the Joint Chiefs added, emphasizing ongoing vigilance.

Japan's Defense Ministry confirmed the detection of the missiles and issued a strong protest to Pyongyang....