North Korea fires ballistic missiles in warning over US, S.Korea's drill

North Korea fired two rockets on Monday, in a drill for a launcher Pyongyang said to be capable of a “tactical nuclear attack” that could take out entire enemy air bases.

It was North Korea’s second weapons launch in 48 hours, after it fired one of its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) on Saturday to protest plans for increased US-South Korea military exercises.

Japan said the ICBM landed in its exclusive economic zone, and the United States and South Korea staged snap joint air drills on Sunday in response.

Pyongyang said the Korean People’s Army (KPA) conducted Monday’s drill in retaliation for those US-South Korean exercises, blaming the allies for the deteriorating security situation, according to a report by state media outlet KCNA.

“Through today’s firing drill with the involvement of super-large multiple rocket launchers, the tactical nuclear attack means, the KPA demonstrated its full readiness to deter and will to counter” the joint air drills, KCNA said.

The rocket launchers were powerful enough to “reduce to ashes the enemy’s operational airfield”, it added.

The South Korean military said it detected the launch of two short-range ballistic missiles on Monday at 0700-0711 (2200-2211 GMT Sunday). One travelled 390 kilometres (240 miles) and the other 340 kilometres, before they landed in the East Sea — the body of water also known as the Sea of Japan.

It described the launches as “a serious provocation that undermines peace and stability on the Korean peninsula”, and called on North Korea to stop “immediately”.

The UN Security Council will hold a meeting to discuss the situation on Tuesday.