N Korea fires missile toward sea: S Korea

North Korea fired multiple short - range ballistic missiles toward the sea on Thursday, South Korea's military said, days after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to put his nuclear force fully ready for battle with its rivals. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected the missiles launched from North Korea's capital flying 360 kilometers (about 220 miles) before landing in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida instructed officials to ensure the safety of ships and aircraft, but there were no immediate reports of damage.

The reported fight distances suggest the missiles were designed to attack South Korea. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff condemned the launches as a provocation that poses a serious threat to peace on the Korean Peninsula. The launches were North Korea's first public weapons firing activities in more than two months. On July 1, North Korea claimed to have tested a new tactical weapon capable of delivering a super-large 4.5-tonclass warhead. In a Monday speech marking his government's 76th foundation anniversary, Kim said he would redouble efforts to make his nuclear force fully ready for combat with the United States and its allies.

Kim made such a pledge saying North Korea faces a grave threat because of what he called the reckless expansion of a U.S.-led regional military bloc that is now developing into a nuclearbased one. Kim has made similar vows numerous times, but his latest threat came as outside experts believe North Korea could carry out a nuclear test explosion or long-range missile test-launches ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November to boost its leverage in future dealings with the U.S. On Sunday, North Korea's state media published a photo of Kim inspecting a 12-axel vehicle that would be the the country's biggest missile launch platform.

That sparked speculation that the North could be developing a more powerful intercontinental ballistic missile designed to strike the U.S. mainland. Recent commercial satellite images indicate that North Korea's northeastern nuclear test site incurred minor damage from heavy summer rains in recent weeks and that no notable recent work was detected at its tunnels, 38 North, a North Koreafocused website, said an analytical piece published Wednesday.

Thursday's launches also came after North Korea flew hundreds of huge balloons carrying rubbish toward South Korea for five straight days through Sunday. Since 2022, North Korea has sharply ramped up its weapons testing activities in part of its efforts to perfect its capabilities to launch strikes on the U.S. and South Korea.