North Korea launches ballistic missiles toward sea

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SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles toward the sea on Sunday, its neighbors said, the North’s latest weapons testing activity this year.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the launches happened on Sunday morning from the North’s eastern Sinpo area. It said South Korea has bolstered its surveillance posture and is closely exchanging information with the U.S. and Japan.

South Korea's presidential office said its National Security Council plans to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the launches.

Japan’s Defense Ministry also detected the launches, saying the weapons were believed to have landed in the waters off North Korea's east coast. It said Tokyo strongly protested to Pyongyang, saying Sunday's launches threaten regional and international peace and violated U.N. Security Council resolutions that bans any ballistic activities by North Korea.

Last week, North Korea said leader Kim Jong Un supervised missile tests from the country’s destroyer. After the test, Kim said his government remained focused on the “limitless expansion” of its nuclear forces and issued unspecified new tasks to sharpen the country’s nuclear attack and rapid-response capabilities.

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi said last week that his agency has confirmed “a rapid increase” in activities at nuclear facilities in North Korea.