North Korea Test-Fires Short-Range Missiles

North Korea has fired a number of short-range projectiles from its east coast toward the East Sea on Saturday morning, the Yonhap News Agency reported citing South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

The projectiles crashed into the East Sea after flying for some 70-200 kilometers, and analysts are trying to still determine what kind of projectiles were fired. The projectiles were fired Friday evening Eastern Time (between 9:06 a.m. and 9:27 a.m. local time). CNN reported that the projectiles, fired from the east-coast town of Wonsan, could include rockets and ballistic missiles.

The launch comes after the failed Hanoi summit between President Trump and the North's Kim Jong Un in February. The summit had abruptly ended without any agreement on denuclearization of the Korean peninsula or sanctions relief for Kim's country.

According to a USA Today report, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had said that Kim had promised Trump that no such tests would take place. But the North has been making threatening noises about resuming weapons tests after the summit. Reports in March said the country had started rebuilding missile test facilities in Tongchang-ri, which Kim had initially promised to dismantle in the presence of American experts. And in April the North had also made a claim of testing a tactical guided weapon.

White House Spokesperson Sarah Sanders said that the White House was well-aware of North Korea's actions and that the actions would be consistently monitored. South Korea's JCS said that its "military is strengthening its surveillance and border in preparation for further launch of North Korea."

Japan’s Defense Ministry said the projectiles did not fall near the country’s coast and said they were no security threat. Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono spoke to Pompeo on the phone for about 10 minutes Saturday, the Associated Press reported.