North Korea fires barrage of short-range ballistic missiles, Seoul says
LONDON -- North Korea fired a barrage of ballistic missiles in an eastward direction on Thursday, according to statements released by the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The JCS said it detected the launch from Pyongyang at around 5 p.m. local time, but did not provide any further details.
Japan's Defense Ministry also reported the launch of at least one projectile, which it said appeared to be a ballistic missile. The munition fell outside of Japan's exclusive economic zone, the ministry said.
The latest North Korean missile launch comes as U.S.-South Korean military drills -- Ulchi Freedom Shield -- are ongoing on the peninsula, though the drills are expected to end early on Friday following an order from President Donald Trump to "substantially reduce" the annual exercise.
Trump cited his "very good" relationship with North Korea's Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un when announcing the decision, and on Wednesday said he plans to meet with Kim later this year.
North Korea has criticized the drills as an "open threat" and threatened a strong response against both the U.S. and South Korea.
Pyongyang has maintained a steady rhythm of ballistic missile tests in recent years, despite U.S. and international condemnation. Thursday's launch came around a week after Pyongyang fired a short-range ballistic missile off its east coast on Aug. 12.
Thursday's launch is the third North Korean ballistic missile test of August to date.
ABC News' Joe Simonetti, Anthony Trotter and Joohee Cho contributed to this report.
