US Pacific Command: N. Korea Fired 3 Missiles, None Posed Threat
Spokesman for US Pacific Command says two missiles failed in flight, one blew up at launch
The U.S. Navy confirmed that North Korea launched "multiple" short-range ballistic missiles Friday, none of which hit a target. A spokesman for U.S. Pacific Command said three missiles were launched about 10 minutes apart, around 2200 UTC. The spokesman initially said the first and third missiles failed in flight, while the second missile appeared to have blown up almost immediately. But that assessment was later revised to say the first and third missiles flew about 250 kilometers. The spokesman also said none of the missiles posed a threat to North America, or to Guam, the nearest U.S. territory to North Korea. He said U.S. forces "continue to monitor North Korea's actions closely." The White House said in a statement: “In regards to activity in North Korea tonight, the president has been briefed and we are monitoring the situation.” Earlier, the South Korean military joint chiefs of staff said North Korea had apparently fired several missiles from the Gitdaeryong area in North Korea's Gangwon province. The joint chiefs said the missiles might have been part of a military training exercise. At least one of the missiles flew about 250 kilometers before landing in the sea, according to the South Korean joint chiefs.