<Anchor>
North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile into the East Sea on the morning of the 5th.
Eight shots were fired at multiple locations in a row, and this is the first firing method I've ever seen.
Reporter Kim Tae-hoon reports.
<Reporter> The
Joint Chiefs of Staff said today that it has detected eight North Korean short-range ballistic missiles launched into the East Sea from 9:08 am to 9:43 am.
He added that there are more than two launch sites, including Pyongyang's Sunan.
Eight consecutive firings and simultaneous firing from multiple locations are unprecedented firing methods.
Military authorities are currently closely analyzing missile specifications such as range, altitude, and type.
Today's launch is the third provocation since the inauguration of the Yun Seok-yeol government and the 18th armed protest this year.
The simultaneous launch of eight shots from multiple locations is not a simple test launch, but is interpreted as a demonstration of the ballistic missile forces aimed at the South Korean and US missile defense capabilities against North Korea.
It blatantly demonstrated that it could strike multiple targets on the Korean Peninsula and Japan at the same time.
The intention of protesting against the combined naval exercise is also evident in that a number of missiles were fired into the East Sea the next day after completing the ROK-US combined naval exercise using aircraft carriers, which is the strategic asset of the US Navy for the first time in 4 years and 7 months.
Ahead of the 7th nuclear test, it appears that South Korea and North Korea are continuing a fierce confrontation.
The Presidential Office held a NSC Standing Committee chaired by Kim Seong-han, head of the National Security Office to discuss countermeasures.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff said, "We are maintaining a full readiness posture while strengthening surveillance and vigilance in preparation for additional launches, while closely cooperating between South Korea and the United States."