• North Korea fired several cruise missiles off its east coast, reportedly near the port of Sinpo.
• South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) are coordinating with the US.
• South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol warns of stronger retaliation if North Korea provokes.

South Korea’s military reported that North Korea fired several cruise missiles in waters off its east coast. The launch, which took place near the port of Sinpo at 08:00 (23:00 GMT Saturday), was not clear in terms of the number or type of missiles.

The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) stated that they have been closely coordinating with the United States to monitor additional signs of North Korea’s provocations.

In recent months, the nuclear-armed communist state has repeatedly tested missiles, escalating regional tension. On Wednesday, North Korea test-fired a new strategic cruise missile named Pulhwasal-3-31, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has exhibited increasing aggression in policy direction and rhetoric, terminating several agreements aimed at peace-keeping and intensifying military actions.

Pyongyang has claimed tests of a new solid-fueled missile and underwater attack drones, capable of carrying a nuclear weapon, since the beginning of January.

These actions follow two years of near-monthly missile launches and weapons development, blatantly contravening UN sanctions.

Earlier this month, Kim Jong Un declared the former bedrock goal of reunification with South Korea as over, designating the South as the “principal enemy.” This has raised concerns that North Korea may be preparing for war. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol informed his cabinet that if the North carried out a provocation, the South “will retaliate multiple times stronger,” emphasizing the South Korean military’s “overwhelming response capabilities.”

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