N Korea Fires 4 Missiles as S Korea & US Start Military Drills

Japanese officials said the launches were a grave threat and lodged “strong protests” against North Korea.

File photo of a missile being fired from a North Korean naval vessel. (Photo: Reuters)

North Korea fired four ballistic missiles early on Monday, three of which landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said, the latest in a series of provocative tests by the reclusive state.

"Multiple ballistic missiles" were launched from the Tongchang-ri region near the North's border with China and flew about 1,000 km (620 miles), South Korean military officials said, without providing the number of missiles.

South Korea and the United States are conducting a close-up analysis, regarding further information.

South Korea’s Office of Joint Chiefs of Staff

Japanese officials described the launches as a grave threat and said they lodged “strong protests” with nuclear-armed North Korea. “The launches are clearly in violation of Security Council resolutions. It is an extremely dangerous action,” Abe said during lawmaker questions in parliament.

The US military did not immediately comment.

North Korea had threatened to take "strong retaliatory measures" after South Korea and the United States began annual joint military drills on Wednesday that test their defensive readiness against possible aggression from the North.

North Korea criticises the annual drills calling them preparation for war against it.

(This article has been edited for length)