North Korea fired two short-range projectiles on Nov. 28, according to South Korean military officials.
The military said the projectiles were fired from Yeonpo in the country’s South Hamgyong Province and landed off the east coast at about 5 p.m. local time. Fired in a 30-second interval, they both flew about 250 miles and reached a maximum altitude of 60 miles.
“South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities are analyzing additional features,” the South Korean military said, according to Yonhap. “Our military is monitoring the situation in case of additional launches, and maintaining a readiness posture.”
Military officials said the missile testing won’t ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
“Our military expresses strong regret over the acts and urge North Korea to immediately stop such moves,” Maj. Gen. Jeon Dong-jin told Yonhap.
Abe called the projectiles “ballistic missiles”; some experts have said that projectiles fired from the “super-large” multiple rocket launcher are virtually missiles or missile-class weapons.
According to Yonhap, the launches would be the fourth time North Korea has used its super-large rocket launching system, which is presumed to be about 24 inches in diameter.
“The repeated tests are aimed at further improving the weapon before deploying it for operation,” Chang Young-keun, a missile expert at Korea Aerospace University, told the news agency. “North Korea appears to be advancing its system for successive firings, among other capabilities.”
The impoverished communist country is banned under U.N. Security Council resolutions from test-firing ballistic missiles.