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After a joint military maneuver by the USA and South Korea, North Korea apparently responded by launching missiles. The situation is tricky.
Nerves are on edge – North Korea fires new missiles © AFP
The already tense situation on the Korean peninsula is coming to a head again. North Korea has fired at least two missiles, according to South Korean forces. The South Korean general staff announced on Tuesday that the rockets were flying in the direction of the East Sea (in Japan: Sea of Japan).
Related video: North Korea launches missile from submarine (ProSieben)
According to Seoul, two short-range ballistic missiles were detected. How far they flew was initially unclear. Tests of such missiles are fundamentally prohibited by UN resolutions, since they can be equipped with a nuclear warhead. North Korea has been on the international sanctions list for some time because of its nuclear weapons program.
The reason for the firing of the rockets is likely to be the joint military maneuvers by South Korea and the USA, which began on Monday. North Korea will prepare for an attack with both countries with their joint exercises. Washington and Seoul dispute this.
North Korea said it fired two strategic cruise missiles from a submarine on Sunday. This test is said to have also served as a nuclear deterrent.
The conflict on the Korean peninsula has become much more explosive since last year. North Korea increased the scope and pace of its missile tests. The US and South Korea resumed full-scale joint military exercises.
