North Korea launches unidentified projectiles: South Korea military

“North Korea launched multiple projectiles in the early morning from around Hodo Peninsula in South Hamgyong Province,” the JCS said, adding that it was on the alert for further launches.

“Our military is tracking and watching the related movement in preparation to additional launches, and is maintaining readiness posture.”

A US official familiar confirmed to CNN that two projectiles had been fired by North Korea. Another official separately told CNN that launches did not pose a threat to the United States.

The White House is aware of the launch, a senior US administration official said.

This most recent launch comes as North Korean officials indicated to a White House national security administration official last week that working level talks could start very soon, a senior administration official said Tuesday.

This is North Korea’s third launch in as many months: In May, a short-range missile launch appeared to signal North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s frustration at deadlocked talks with the United States. And just five days ago, North Korea sent two new short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan.

According to North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the July 25 launches were intended to send a warning to South Korea and had been “personally organized” by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Experts at the time said that the launches might have been North Korea’s response to planned joint military exercises between the US and South Korea. The exercises have long been an aggravation for North Korea.

South Korea said then that it viewed the twin launches as a “military threat” designed to undermine progress toward stability on the Korean Peninsula.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Reporting contributed by Jim Acosta at the White House.