DPRK fires 3 short-range projectiles into east waters

SEOUL - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) fired three short-range projectiles into its eastern waters, local media reported Thursday.

The three projectiles were launched at around 5 pm from Wonsan areas in the DPRK's southeastern coast, where Pyongyang fired FROG surface-to-surface missiles in March.

The projectiles, which flew some 190 km into the eastern waters, had yet to be identified as the flying range was not exactly in line with any missiles or multiple rocket launchers held by the DPRK.

Those were estimated to be launched from the DPRK's new multiple rocket launcher termed by the South Korean military as KN-09 with a range of 150-160 km, or its modified version.

The South Korean military was closely monitoring further DPRK provocations though those projectiles did not fly toward territorial waters of South Korea.

The DPRK fired off 16 FROG short-range missiles from the Wonsan region on March 23, a day after launching 30 such missiles from the same place.

On March 16, Pyongyang fired 25 FROG missiles, which were introduced by the DPRK from the Soviet Union in the 1960s.

Tensions are running high on the Korean Peninsula after the DPRK threatened a new form of nuclear test in late March. The DPRK's third nuclear test was staged in February 2013.

The DPRK fired some 90 short-range missiles in late February and March in protest against the joint military drills between Seoul and Washington.

The two Koreas exchanged artillery shells in the disputed western sea border on May 22, some two months after trading hundreds of artillery shells in late March.