North and South Korea fire missiles off each other’s coasts for first time
North and South Korea have both fired missiles landing in waters off each other’s coasts for the first time.
Seoul retaliated on Wednesday three hours after Pyongyang launched a missile that landed less than 60km (37mi) off the South’s city of Sokcho.
The South’s military said this was an “unacceptable” breach of its territory.
It fired three air-to-ground missiles in response, which officials said landed a similar distance past the Northern Limit Line (NLL).
The demarcation line marks the rough midway point in the sea between North and South Korea, but the North has never accepted the boundary.
North Korea fired at least 10 missiles in both east and west directions on Wednesday, South Korean officials say.
It comes a day after the North threatened the US and South Korea over their joint military drills, saying “The US and South Korea will have to face a terrible case and pay the most horrible price in history”.
There is concern that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may be preparing the ground for the first nuclear weapons test in five years.
At least one of the North Korean missiles – launched before 09:00 (00:00 GMT) on Wednesday – landed about 26km south of the border, 57km east of Sokcho and 167km northwest of Ulleung island.
It triggered air-raid sirens on Ulleung, where residents were told to evacuate to underground shelters.
It was picked up immediately by South Korean and Japanese authorities who swiftly condemned the escalation from Pyongyang.
South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol labeled it an “effective territorial invasion” and vowed a “swift and firm response”.
Under international law, countries can only establish a territorial claim to 12 nautical miles of sea bordering their land, and the missile fell outside this boundary.
Around three hours later, the South fired three precision air-to-ground missiles from warplanes in waters off its east coast.
Agencies