South Korea vowed to its northern neighbor to pay a heavy price after conducting a new missile test today, Thursday, while Japan accused it of threatening its security and peace in the region.
Seoul and Tokyo confirmed that Pyongyang fired two ballistic missiles into the sea off the peninsula's east coast.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were medium-range and flew about 500 km.
The Japanese Ministry of Defense also said that the two missiles, which were launched from northwestern North Korea, flew at a maximum altitude of 550 km, noting that they apparently fell outside Japan's exclusive economic zone.
The launch of the two missiles comes days after North Korea tested a solid fuel engine with great thrust as part of its efforts to create a new strategic weapon.
It also comes within the framework of an unprecedented wave of missile tests conducted by Pyongyang, one of which last November was an intercontinental missile capable of reaching the mainland of the United States, and it is believed to be an upgraded version of the "Hwasong-17" missile.
Feast and protest
Responding to the latest test, Lee Jae-myung, deputy spokesman for the South Korean presidential office, said the country's National Security Council held a meeting after North Korea fired the two missiles.
He added, "Lee," in a press conference in the capital, Seoul, that the North Korean regime will pay the price.
For its part, the Japanese Ministry of Defense announced that Tokyo submitted a protest to North Korea through its embassy in Beijing.
Toshiro Inoue, Deputy Minister of Defense of Japan, said that what he described as a series of escalating provocations by North Korea threaten peace and security in Japan, the region and the entire international community.
In the past few weeks, tension has escalated across the border between the two Koreas, raising fears of direct clashes, while South Korea and Japan have strengthened their defense measures, with frequent missile launches by Pyongyang, which the United States and its allies suspect is preparing for a new nuclear test.
