North Korea fires two ballistic missiles after regime threatened ‘unprecedented’ response

North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles on Monday morning, just two days after resuming missile testing. 

South Korea detected the two launches from a western coastal town, just north of Pyongyang, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

The chiefs said South Korea has increased surveillance and is coordinating with the U.S. to prepare for any necessary response. 

Japan’s coast guard also issued warnings over possible ballistic missile launches by North Korea. 

It comes as tensions escalates following a U.S. flyover of the totalitarian state on Sunday, with Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, calling the U.S. ‘the worst maniacs’.   

Military chiefs said South Korea has increased surveillance and is coordinating with the U.S. to prepare for any necessary response (U.S. B-1B bombers flying with South Korean jets)

A TV screen shows a file image of North Korea’s missile launch during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, February 18, 2023

Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, issued a statement on Monday morning warning of weapons demonstrations over what she called U.S. deployments of strategic military assets to the Korean Peninsula. 

She called the United States ‘the worst maniacs.’

‘The frequency of using the Pacific as our firing range depends upon the U.S. forces’ action character,’ Kim Yo Jong said in a statement carried by state media. 

‘We are well aware of the movement of U.S. forces’ strategic strike means recently getting brisk around the Korean Peninsula.’

U.S. Air Force B-1B bombers fly in formation with South Korea’s Air Force F-35A fighter jets and U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jets over the South Korea Peninsula on Sunday

South Korea’s military said North Korea on Saturday fired one suspected long-range missile from its capital toward the sea, a day after it threatened to take strong measures against South Korea and the U.S. over their joint military exercises

She didn’t elaborate but could refer to Sunday’s U.S. flyover of B-1B long-range, supersonic bombers for separate trainings with South Korea and Japan.

The B-1B deployment came as response to North Korea’s launch of the Hwasong-15 ICBM off its east coast on Saturday in the country’s first missile test since January 1.

North Korea’s state media said Sunday the ICBM test was meant to further bolster its ‘fatal’ nuclear attack capacity and verify the weapon´s reliability and the combat readiness of the country´s nuclear force. 

In an earlier statement on Sunday, Kim Yo Jong threatened to take additional powerful steps over upcoming military drills between the United States and South Korea.

North Korea has steadfastly slammed regular South Korea-U.S. military drills as an invasion rehearsal though the allies say their exercises are defensive in nature.