After declaring no negotiations, North Korea launched 2 'unidentified objects'

North Korea launched two objects believed to be ballistic missiles on August 11. Photo: Reuters

Yonhap news agency on August 16 quoted information from the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) saying that these objects were launched from Tongchon district on the eastern coast of Kangwon province.

The type, range and maximum altitude of the projectiles launched this time are currently unknown. The South Korean military is monitoring the situation in case of additional launches by North Korea and maintaining a state of readiness.

"The military is monitoring the situation in case of additional launches while maintaining a readiness posture," the JCS said.

The South Korean presidential office announced that the National Security Council will hold an emergency meeting following North Korea's latest missile launch. The council's standing committee will begin the meeting at 9 a.m. on the same day, chaired by National Security Adviser Chung Eui-yong.

Meanwhile, Japan said the launch did not pose any security threat to the country.

This is the sixth launch since last month. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called these test launches a "strong warning" to the joint US-South Korea military exercises, which began on August 11. Pyongyang accused the US-South Korea joint exercises of being an "invasion rehearsal" for North Korea.

Most recently, nearly a week ago, North Korea launched two objects believed to be ballistic missiles into the sea.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called the test launches a "strong warning" to South Korea. Photo: Reuters

Before the test launches, the Committee for the Unification of Korea issued a statement criticizing South Korea for causing deadlock in implementing the Panmunjom Declaration between the two sides.

The committee also rejected South Korean President Moon Jae In's statement about peace talks and unification of the two Koreas by 2045.

"We have nothing more to talk about with the South Korean authorities and have no intention of sitting down with them," KCNA news agency quoted the committee's statement as saying.

Earlier, criticizing the US plan to deploy missiles in the Asia-Pacific region, North Korea warned that any deployment of mid-range missiles by Washington in South Korea could spark a "new Cold War" and an arms race in the region.

However, the South Korean Defense Ministry has announced that it has no plans to consider the US proposal to deploy intermediate-range missiles.