North Korea Launches Cruise Missiles into Sea, Reports South Korea

SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea launched multiple unidentified cruise missiles into the sea off its west coast on Tuesday, marking the third missile test by Pyongyang in less than a week, according to South Korea’s military.

The missiles were fired around 7 a.m. local time, as reported by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. South Korean and U.S. intelligence agencies are closely monitoring the situation to analyze the launch details.

This missile launch occurs amid escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula and follows a series of cruise missiles launched by North Korea off its east coast on Sunday.

Sunday’s test involved new submarine-launched cruise missiles (SLCM) known as “Pulhwasal-3-31,” which was supervised by North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un, according to state media. The previous week’s tests also involved the Pulhwasal-3-31, described by North Korean media as “strategic,” a term typically associated with nuclear-capable weapons.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff indicated last week that the firing of the Pulhwasal-3-31 missiles was likely intended to assess upgrades to the capabilities of existing missile systems.