NORTH KOREA LAUNCHES ROUGHLY 10 MISSILES INTO THE SEA IN MILITARY DISPLAY, SOUTH KOREA SAYS. (PHOTO).

North Korea launches roughly 10 missiles into the sea in military display, South Korea says

    

North Korea on Saturday fired around 10 ballistic missiles into the eastern sea, South Korea’s military reported, in a show of force timed with a joint U.S.-South Korea military exercise. The missiles were launched from Sunan, the area near Pyongyang’s international airport, and traveled roughly 350 kilometers (220 miles), according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. Japanese officials said the missiles landed outside the country’s exclusive economic zone, and no damage to ships or aircraft was reported.

South Korea said its military has increased surveillance and is maintaining readiness in case of additional launches while sharing intelligence with the U.S. and Japan. The missile salvo comes amid annual spring drills by U.S. and South Korean forces and at a time of heightened U.S. military activity in the Middle East. Analysts noted the launches signal Pyongyang’s defiance, even as South Korean officials meet with Washington to explore renewed diplomacy. North Korea has repeatedly criticized the allied drills as rehearsals for invasion, and recent statements from leader Kim Jong Un’s sister warned that any threat to the North’s security would provoke “terrible consequences.” The missile tests underscore the ongoing tension in the region, with North Korea continuing to reject calls to restart denuclearization talks.