(Bloomberg) — North Korea fired multiple short-range missiles off its east coast, further escalating tensions just hours before the U.S. election.
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The missiles were fired from an area south of Pyongyang in North Hwanghae province toward waters off the east coast, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. At least seven missiles flew around 400 kilometers with a maximum altitude of about 100 km, Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said. They are believed to have entered waters outside Japan's exclusive economic zone, he added.
The firing of the missiles comes a day after Pyongyang's foreign minister met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, raising concerns about deepening military ties between the two nations and the impact on the war in Ukraine enlarged.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is trying to raise awareness of his nuclear and missile programs as the US prepares for the November 5 presidential election. On Friday, North Korea fired a record-breaking intercontinental ballistic missile, potentially allowing Kim to load heavier nuclear warheads to launch a nuclear attack on the US mainland.
The South Korean military said it has strengthened its defense posture and is sharing information with the US and Japan to analyze details of the latest launch. North Korea usually does not comment on its missile fires until the next day.
Putin met with North Korea's visiting Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui in Moscow, according to Tass news agency. The meeting follows Kim's decision to send troops to Russia to support the Kremlin's attack on Ukraine, a development that has raised fears of an escalation of the conflict.
Kiev said Monday it has deployed North Korean troops for the first time since sending them to Russia's Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces have made gains this year. The US said it could not confirm reports of North Korean combat involvement.
North Korea is sending about 10,000 troops to Russia as the US and its allies try to deter Pyongyang from engaging in direct battle with Ukraine. Choe said Friday during a meeting with her Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, that North Korea will support Russia “until the day of victory.”
In return for sending troops, there is a “high probability” that North Korea will pursue advanced technology transfers from Russia – including technology related to tactical nuclear weapons, ICBMs, reconnaissance satellites and ballistic missile submarines, South Korea said.
Seoul has been warning for months that North Korea could conduct a nuclear test around the US elections. In September, North Korea published its first photos of a facility to enrich uranium for atomic bombs, showing Kim touring a factory at the center of a program that has been a point of friction with the U.S. for more than two decades .
(Adds more details about the launch, meeting of foreign ministers)
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