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North and South Korea fire missiles across maritime border for first time North and South Korea fire missiles off each other's coasts for first time
(about 1 hour later)
North Korea has fired a missile south of the maritime border, triggering retaliatory strikes from the North on Wednesday morning North and South Korea have both fired missiles landing in waters off each other's coasts for the first time.
North and South Korea have both fired missiles across their maritime border 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 retaliated on Wednesday three hours after Pyongyang fired a missile which landed less than 60km (37mi) from its eastern city of Sokcho. The South's military said this was an "unacceptable" breach of its territory.
Seoul said such a firing 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).
It fired three air-to-ground missiles in response, which officials said landed a similar distance past the Northern Limit Line. The demarcation line marks the rough midway-point in the sea between North and South Korea, but the North has never accepted the boundary.
The South said the North fired at least 10 missiles on Wednesday. These are believed to be in response to joint military drills being carried out by the US and South Korea this week. On Tuesday North Korea warned that South Korea and the US would pay "the most horrible price in history" if they continued joint military drills, seen as a veiled threat to use nuclear weapons.
At least one of the missiles- launched just before 09:00 (00:00 GMT) on Wednesday - landed about 26km south of the border, 57km east of Sokcho and 167km north-west of Ulleung island. The North is expected to resume nuclear weapons testing soon after a five-year break, with US and South Korean intelligence saying Pyongyang has completed all the necessary preparations.
The launch had triggered air-raid sirens on Ulleung, and 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 labelled it an "effective territorial invasion" and vowed a "swift and firm response". However, countries technically only have a right to establish its territorial sea to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical miles (22km).
Around three hours later, the South fired three precision air-to-ground missiles from warplanes in waters off its east coast.
Pyongyang has yet to respond to the South's latest launch but the firings are a marked escalation in hostilities across the peninsula this year, which had already witnessed over 50 missile launches from North Korea.
It comes as the West has been bracing for a potential nuclear weapon test from the North, with intelligence reports suggesting Pyongyang is preparing to carry out its first such test since 2017.
Why is Kim Jong-un upping the pressure?Why is Kim Jong-un upping the pressure?
The tit-for-tat missile launches come during a period of national mourning in South Korea, following the crowd crush in Seoul at the weekend which killed more than 150 people.
North Korea fired at least 10 missiles in both east and west directions on Wednesday, South Korean officials say.
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 north-west of Ulleung island.
It triggered air-raid sirens on Ulleung, where residents were told to evacuate to underground shelters.
The launch was picked up immediately by South Korean and Japanese authorities who swiftly condemned the escalation from Pyongyang.
South Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol labelled it an "effective territorial invasion", although the missile landed outside South Korean territorial waters, and vowed a "swift and firm response".
Under international law, countries can only establish territorial claim to 12 nautical miles of sea bordering their land. Mr Yoon has made it his policy to take a tough line on North Korea.
Around three hours later, the South fired three precision air-to-ground missiles from warplanes into waters off North Korea's east coast.
The firings are a marked escalation in hostilities across the peninsula this year, which has already witnessed over 50 missile launches from North Korea - including one ballistic missile that passed over Japan.
On Monday a US nuclear-powered submarine arrived off the coast of South Korea as part of the joint US-South Korean drills, which began in August.
Wargaming a North Korean attackWargaming a North Korean attack
The North had on Tuesday issued a statement threatening the allies to stop the joint drills, saying they would face further "powerful measures" otherwise.
On Wednesday morning it then fired at least 10 missiles of different types in "east and west" directions, the South Korean military said.
One of those missiles had breached the Northern Limit Line - the defacto maritime border.
North Korea's launches on Wednesday follows a blitz of missiles it fired last month which it said were also in response to US, South Korea and Japan joint drills. It had described its response as a "simulation" for a nuclear attack on the South.