For the first time since Korea’s partition, South Korea fired a missile in the direction of the North, crossing their maritime border.
The Ulleungdo island’s air-raid alert was set off after the short-range ballistic missile touched down in the waters off South Korea’s east coast and close to Ulleungdo.
Residents were instructed to leave the area and seek refuge underground.
According to South Korean officials, Pyongyang launched at least 10 missiles Wednesday morning off its east coast.
In reaction to Pyongyang’s most recent launches, Seoul’s president had ordered a “rapid response,” according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who described the missiles as being of “different sorts… [launched] towards the east and west.”
BBC reports that, both South Korean and Japanese authorities recorded the missiles on Wednesday morning, including the one which had breached the Northern Limit Line.
That missile had fallen about 26km (16mi) south of the maritime demarcation border, 57km east of the South Korean city of Sokcho and 167km north-west of Ulleungdo island.
South Korean authorities immediately condemned the launches, which occurred just before 09:00 (00:00 GMT). President Yoon Suk-yeol has called a National Security Cabinet meeting.
The missiles come a day after Pyongyang warned the US and South Korea to stop conducting joint military drills around the peninsula this week.
On Tuesday, North Korea had threatened to follow-up with “powerful” measures
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