SEOUL — North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles toward waters east of the Korean Peninsula on Monday, October 12, South Korea’s military said.

The launches were detected at about 9:20 a.m. Korea time — 8:20 p.m. Sunday in Toronto — from the Pyongyang area. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles appeared to be of different types and that one flew more than 900 kilometres.

Japan’s defence ministry detected at least two missiles and said they landed outside the country’s exclusive economic zone, according to the Associated Press. South Korean and U.S. authorities were continuing to analyze the weapons’ specifications.

Fourth North Korean launch in a month

Reuters reports this was North Korea’s fourth missile launch in a month and its latest weapons demonstration during a prolonged freeze in diplomacy.

South Korea’s National Security Office convened an emergency meeting and condemned the launches as violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said the military had increased surveillance for possible additional launches while sharing information with the United States and Japan.

North Korea has been subject to UN sanctions since 2006 over its nuclear-weapons and ballistic-missile programs.

Launch follows South Korean hypersonic test

The launches came days after South Korean President Lee Jae Myung oversaw his country’s first public test-firing of a hypersonic missile. A South Korean military spokesperson said Monday’s launches may have been a response to that test as well as a demonstration of North Korean missile capabilities.

That assessment is South Korea’s interpretation; North Korea had not publicly explained the latest launches when the reports used for this article were published.

An analyst cited by Reuters said Pyongyang may also be trying to improve its negotiating position before possible talks with U.S. President Donald Trump. That is analysis, not a confirmed statement of North Korean intent.

Why it matters to Canada

Canada participates in international efforts to enforce UN sanctions on North Korea. The Department of National Defence describes Operation NEON as Canada’s contribution to coordinated surveillance intended to counter maritime sanctions evasion.

Canada also joined the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team, which tracks violations and evasions related to North Korea’s prohibited nuclear and ballistic-missile programs.

Sources: Reuters, published October 11 at 8:49 p.m. EDT; Associated Press, published October 11 at 8:29 p.m. EDT; Yonhap News Agency, October 12 Korea time; Government of Canada: Operation NEON.

Lead image: flag of North Korea via Wikimedia Commons, public domain. Illustrative image, not a photograph of Monday’s missile launches.