U.S. & South Korea Fire Rockets In Response To North Korean Record-Breaking Missile Barrage

North Korea test-fired eight short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) toward the East Sea on Sunday, a day after South Korea and the U.S. concluded their joint military exercises near the Korean peninsula.

• South Korea's military said the launches were conducted from areas around Sunan in Pyongyang, Kaechon, north of the capital, the northwestern region of Tongchang-ri, and the eastern city of Hamhung.
• Japan PM Kishida said the rockets landed outside of Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and caused no damage to passing ships or aircraft as he condemned the drill.
• A source told Yonhap News Agency that "two missiles were shot from each site sporadically, presumably from transporter erector launchers (TELs), the largest number of ballistic missiles the North has recently launched on a single day and occasion."
• Sunday's drill pushed the total number of North Korean missile launches this year to 31, setting a new record. The eight-missile barrage was also the largest for a single day since Kim Jong-un took power a decade ago.
• Yonhap now runs headlines noting that the U.S. and South Korea have fired eight surface-to-surface missiles at "various targets" in response to North Korea's latest test-launches.