North Korea test-fired three anti-ship cruise missiles Saturday, following warnings from Pyongyang that it would fire on South Korean naval vessels it accuses of violating the disputed Yellow Sea border.
The South Korean Defence Ministry said the three short-range KN-01 missiles were fired from a warship off the northeastern port of Wonsan.
The first was fired at 4:25pm (0725 GMT) and the last about an hour later.
“Our military is maintaining tight surveillance over the situation and we remain at a high level of preparedness for any provocative acts,” a ministry spokesman told AFP.
The North’s Korean People’s Army (KPA) had said Friday that it was prepared to fire on sight without warning at South Korean navy patrol boats crossing into its territorial waters.
The KPA said 17 boats had violated the border in the first week of May “under the pretext” of intercepting Chinese fishing boats.
The South Korean defence ministry flatly denied any incursions and said it would retaliate “sternly” to any aggression.
According to the South’s Yonhap news agency, the presidential Blue House called a special meeting of the National Security Council to discuss the North’s threat.
