North Korea fired ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on the afternoon of January 8, following a morning launch earlier the same day.
According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), North Korea launched several short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) toward the East Sea at around 8:50 a.m. The North fired additional ballistic missiles toward the East Sea in the afternoon.
The morning missiles flew approximately 240 kilometers before falling into the East Sea.
"South Korea and the United States are conducting a detailed analysis of the exact specifications," the JCS said. "Intelligence authorities of both countries tracked the launch and shared related information closely."
South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities reportedly estimate the morning missiles to be KN-23 variants, known as North Korea's version of the Russian Iskander missile system.
North Korea also launched an unidentified projectile eastward from the Pyongyang area the previous day, but it reportedly showed abnormal signs in the early stages of flight and was lost. The consecutive launches suggest the North may be conducting follow-up tests after the previous day's apparent failure.
"Our military is closely monitoring North Korea's various activities under the robust South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture and maintains the capability and readiness to respond overwhelmingly to any provocation," the JCS said.
North Korea has already launched ballistic missiles on January 4, January 27, and March 14 this year. If the projectile fired the previous day is confirmed as a ballistic missile, this would mark the fifth or sixth ballistic missile launch this year.