North Korea has fired three ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan, say US and South Korean military officials.<\/p>\n
The missiles were launched from the western city of Hwangju, said South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.<\/p>\n
The US said the first two were believed to be short-range Scud missiles while the third was presumed to be a mid-range Rodong.<\/p>\n
It comes after the US and South Korea said they would deploy an anti-missile system to counter the North’s threats.<\/p>\n
North Korea is barred by UN sanctions from any test of nuclear or ballistic missile technology. But tensions have soared since it carried out its fourth nuclear test<\/a> in January.<\/p>\n It has also conducted several launches in recent months, including a test of mid-range missiles in June<\/a> which were considered its most successful yet.<\/p>\n Seoul has said activity detected recently in North Korea indicates it could be preparing to conduct a fifth nuclear test imminently.<\/p>\n The latest launches happened between 05:45 local time (20:45 GMT on Monday) and 06:40, the South’s military said, in a statement quoted by Yonhap news agency.<\/p>\n “The ballistic missiles flight went from 500km (310 miles) to 600km, which is a distance far enough to strike all of South Korea including Busan,” South Korea’s military said in a statement. Busan is a port city in the south.<\/p>\n The US Strategic Command said it had tracked the launches, but that they had posed no risk to US interests.<\/p>\n Earlier this month, Seoul and Washington agreed to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) anti-missile system in the South. The system will be based in the town of Seongju, in the south-east.<\/p>\n The North’s military had warned it would retaliate with a “physical response”.<\/p>\n China has also criticised the decision, saying it will destabilise security in the region.\n