North Korea fires multiple short-range ballistic missiles as US prepares for presidential polls

The latest round of missiles was shot at a time when the US is gearing up for Presidential polls.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) told Yonhap news agency that it detected the launches at about 7:30 a.m. from the Sariwon area in the western province of North Hwanghae.

However, it is still not clear how many missiles have been fired so far.

"While strengthening our military's monitoring and vigilance in preparation for additional launches, we are maintaining full readiness while closely sharing North Korean ballistic missile data with U.S. and Japanese authorities," the JCS said in a text message.

The latest launch occurred just days after North Korea fired the new Hwasong-19 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

The missile has reportedly the capability of reaching the US mainland.

UN discusses Hwasong-19 intercontinental ballistic missile launch

The launch of “yet another” intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) poses a “grave threat” to regional stability, a senior UN political affairs official warned on Monday, as the Security Council discussed the rising tensions in the region and beyond.

The missile, launched on 31 October at approximately 7:11am local time, reportedly flew for 1 hour and 26 minutes, covered approximately 1,000 kilometres, reaching an altitude of over 7,000 kilometres before landing in the sea.

“The DPRK described this latest launch as a ‘very crucial test’ that ‘updated the recent records of the strategic missile capability of the DPRK’,” Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for Asia at the UN Department of Political Affairs, told ambassadors.

“The Hwasong-19 sets new records in terms of flight duration and altitude and is the second solid-fuel ICBM developed by the DPRK which does not need to undergo fuelling prior to launch. It is reported to be larger than its predecessor, the Hwasong-18, and may be capable of carrying larger warheads or even multiple warheads.”

This latest test marks the 11th intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch by DPRK – more commonly known as North Korea – since announcing a new five-year military expansion plan in 2021.