North Korea fires two short‑range missiles on April 8
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- North Korea fired two rounds of short‑range ballistic missiles on April 8, including one at 8:50 am traveling ~240 km and another at 2:20 pm traveling ~70 km.
- South Korean military detected an “unidentified projectile” launched from the Pyongyang area on April 7, and later identified multiple short‑range ballistic missiles from Wonsan on April 8.
- President Lee Jae Myung expressed regret over civilian drone incursions into North Korea in January and called the April 6 drone incident “irresponsible,” prompting praise from Kim Yo Jong.
- Kim Yo Jong called Lee’s regret “wise behaviour” and said the North Korean government appreciated it.
- Jang Kum Chol labeled South Korean media reports of Kim Yo Jong’s comments “nonsense” and called them “world‑starting fools.”
- Japan Coast Guard reported an “object suspected to be a ballistic missile” launched from North Korea and urged ships to remain vigilant.
- Wang Yi is set to visit North Korea for two days starting April 9, ahead of an expected US‑China summit in May.
Why it matters: The missile salvos blunt President Lee’s diplomatic overture, forcing Seoul’s security apparatus into an emergency meeting and eroding any momentum toward inter‑Korean reconciliation, while the timing of China’s envoy visit and Trump’s public praise of Kim heighten regional strategic calculations.
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