North Korea fired two new ballistic missiles, Seoul announced on Wednesday (July 31st). They "flew about 250 km at an altitude of 30 kilometers before falling into the East Sea" (Sea of ​​Japan), told AFP an official to the chief of staff of South Korea. The missiles were launched at dawn from the Hodo Peninsula on the east coast of North Korea, said the official, adding that he expected "other possible shots".

The South Korean Joint Staff, quoted by the Yonhap Agency, had previously reported "several unidentified projectiles" launched from the Hodo Peninsula on the east coast of the country.

Last Thursday Pyongyang fired two short-range missiles into the sea to demonstrate anger at joint military exercises between Seoul and Washington.

Previous minimized trials

US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo downplayed the tests last week, with Mike Pompeo continuing to be optimistic about a diplomatic outburst with North Korea. Speaking Tuesday to reporters from the White House, Donald Trump again highlighted his good personal relationship with Kim Jong-un, adding, "We'll see what happens."

Thursday's shootings were the first missile tests since the impromptu meeting in June between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un in the demilitarized zone that divides the peninsula. The US president and the North Korean leader agreed to resume talks on the North Korean nuclear program.

However, this commitment has yet to materialize and Pyongyang has warned recently that the process could be derailed if the joint maneuvers between the two countries unfolded as planned in August.

UN resolutions forbid North Korea - which has repeatedly tested atomic bombs - to launch short, medium and long-range ballistic missiles. These missiles are generally ground-to-ground missiles that can carry a conventional, chemical, biological or nuclear warhead.

With AFP and Reuters