SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The Latest on North Korea test firing short-range missiles (all times local):
11:45 a.m.
The White House says it is monitoring North Korean short-range missile launches.
In a terse statement, Press Secretary Sarah Sanders says, “We are aware of North Korea’s actions tonight. We will continue to monitor as necessary.”
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff says that North Korea early Saturday launched several short-range missiles off its eastern coast into the ocean.
If it’s confirmed that the North fired banned ballistic missiles, it will be the first such launch since the North’s November 2017 test of an intercontinental ballistic missile.
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11:15 a.m.
Japan’s Defense Ministry says North Korean missiles have not reached anywhere near the country’s coast and that Japan is not facing any security threat.
The ministry says it has not detected signs that any of the North Korean short-range missiles fired Saturday have reached in or around Japan’s territory or its 200-nautical-mile (320-kilometer) exclusive economic zone.
It says at this point Japan does not face a situation that would pose any immediate risk to its national security.
Japan is seen as avoiding any harsh response as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seeks to secure a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
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10:45 a.m.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff says that North Korea has launched “several” short-range missiles off its eastern coast.
The military said in a statement Saturday that the missiles flew up to 200 kilometers (125 miles) before they landed in the water.
The South had previously said the North launched a single missile.
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10:05 a.m.
The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff says North Korea has fired an unidentified short-range missile from its eastern coast.
The firing Saturday comes amid a diplomatic breakdown that has followed the failed summit earlier this year between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un over the North’s pursuit of a nuclear arsenal that can target the U.S. mainland.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff says the North’s missile was fired from Wonsan on the east coast.
It says South Korean and U.S. authorities are analyzing the details of the launch.
