Seoul: North Korea short-range missiles flew 200 miles inland

Sept. 10 (UPI) -- North Korea fired two missiles on Tuesday morning that flew about 205 miles before falling in waters near Alsom Island, off the coast of North Hamgyong Province, Seoul's joint chiefs of staff said.

The short-range projectiles flew inland, in a northeasterly direction, from a launch point in Kaechon, South Pyongan Province, at 6:53 a.m. and 7:12 a.m., South Korean news service Newsis and MBC reported.

Seoul is still analyzing the missiles' flight altitude, speed and exact landing point, according to the reports.

South Korea's military said the North should cease the launches, which have occurred on a regular basis since July.

"Any North Korea actions that heighten tensions do not help with efforts to ease them on the Korean Peninsula," the joint chiefs of staff said. "We call for an immediate end to these actions."

North Korea missile launches come after Choe Son Hui, Pyongyang's vice foreign minister, said her country is ready to engage the United States with "comprehensive discussions" but only if the United States presents a new approach.

Hong Min, director of the North Korea research office at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul, said the missile launches, which took place about 7 hours after Choe's remarks were published on KCNA, are a way to warn the United States, according to Newsis.

Hong said North Korea wants talks on its terms, and to avoid the outcome of the Hanoi Summit in February.

Kim Dong-yup, a South Korean analyst at Kyungnam University, said the projectiles launched Tuesday are likely ATACMS, or Army Tactical Missile System short-range missiles with a range of 250 miles.

U.S. President Donald Trump has previously dismissed North Korea short-range missile tests, calling the tests "very standard" and not a provocation that threatens the United States.