BREAKING NEWS: North Korea fires 'multiple projectiles'

The Yonhap news agency cited the South Korean military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) as saying the projectiles were launched from the Hodo peninsula in South Hamgyong Province on North Korea’s east coast, the JCS said, according to Yonhap.

The JCS said it is monitoring the situation in case of additional launches and maintaining a readiness posture, Yonhap reported.

The White House, the Pentagon and the US State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Last week, North Korea test-fired two new short-range ballistic missiles, its first missile test since leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump met last month and agreed to revive denuclearisation talks.

The incident follows a similar one last Thursday in which North Korea fired an unidentified projectile near Wonsan on North Korea’s eastern coast.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff told South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency: “Our military is monitoring the situation in case of additional launches and maintaining a readiness posture.” 

The reported missiles come soon after a North Korean official told a White House National Security Council counterpart last week that working-level talks to revive denuclearisation negotiations with North Korea would start very soon.

However, there were no details provided on when the talks will occur.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has appeared hopeful of a diplomatic way forward despite North Korea test-firing two new short-range ballistic missiles on July 25.

Pompeo and North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho had been expected to meet on the sidelines of a Southeast Asia security forum in Bangkok this week, but Ri cancelled his trip to the conference, a diplomatic source said.

On Tuesday, the senior US official also said it appeared Ri would not be in Bangkok.

The most recent contact between North Korea and the United States occurred last week, when a US official travelled to the demilitarised zone to deliver photographs commemorating the June 30 meeting there between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Pompeo said on Monday he hoped working-level talks to revive denuclearisation talks with North Korea could occur “very soon,” but emphasised that a follow-up leaders’ summit was not planned.

Pompeo left Washington on Tuesday for Thailand and will also visit Australia and Micronesia in a trip lasting until August 6.

Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday: “We’ll see what happens. I can’t tell you what’s going to happen.”

source: express.co.uk