[ad_1]

People in Pyongyang watch a broadcast about the launch of a surface-to-surface medium long-range ballistic missile on February 12.

Kim Won-jin / AFP / Getty Images

North Korea on Monday launched several missiles, which flew about 1,000 kilometers before falling into the waters between it and Japan.

The banned missiles came from a long-range launch facility, and a South Korean defense official said they could be capable of reaching the continental US, South Korean media reported.

The launch appeared to be a protest of joint military drills by South Korea and the US, South Korea's military said. The missiles were fired around 7:30 a.m. from a launch facility near North Korea's border with China, from which they traveled across North Korea and fell into the waters of the Sea of Japan.

Following the launch, South Korea's national security council was set to meet.

On New Year's Day, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un praised the advances the country had made in its missile program. As sanctions by the US against North Korea have increased, he has vowed to develop a intercontinental ballistic missile that can deploy a nuclear weapon to the US.

North Korea last launched a ballistic missile on Feb. 12, prompting the condemnation of the UN Security Council.

LINK: North Korea Can’t Launch A Nuclear Missile At The US Yet, But This Is How It’s Going To Try

[ad_2]