US and South Korea fire missiles after North Korea launches

Eight ballistic missiles were fired into the sea by US and South Korean militaries in a force equal to that of North Korea a day earlier.

South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff said the live-fire exercise included eight missiles from the army’s tactical missile system fired over 10 minutes into South Korea’s eastern waters.

The US and South Korea said the goal is to demonstrate the ability to respond quickly and accurately to North Korean attacks.

The South Korean military discovered that North Korea fired eight short-range missiles over a 35-minute period from at least four different locations, the western and eastern coastal areas and two inland areas north of Pyongyang.

It is North Korea’s 18th round of missile tests in 2022 alone.

The US and South Korea say North Korea is preparing to conduct its first nuclear test since September 2017.

Ruler Kim Jong Un hopes to cement North Korea’s status as a nuclear power.

The tests came as US President Joe Biden completed his trip to South Korea and Japan, where he reaffirmed the country’s commitment to defending both allies.

State media in North Korea have yet to comment on Sunday’s launches.

North Korea has in the past condemned joint combined military exercises and has often countered with its own missile exercises.

But the US has vowed to push for more international sanctions if North Korea conducts a nuclear test.

Russia and China have insisted the US should focus on resuming negotiations with Pyongyang and have vetoed a US-backed resolution that would have imposed additional sanctions on North Korea.

But Kim Jong Un has so far rejected offers from the Biden administration for candid talks.

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