By Alex Jensen
SEOUL
North Korea test-fired three missiles into open water east of the peninsula Saturday morning, according to South Korea’s military -- just as millions of people traveled to their ancestral hometowns for a holiday celebrated on both sides of the border.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that the missiles had been fired from the previously used test-site of Wonsan, an eastern border town, between 7 and 7:30 a.m. -- and flew around 210 kilometers out to sea.
The projectiles are suspected to have been the same new variety of tactical missiles thought to have been used in recent tests -- though the North is barred from employing ballistic missile technology under United Nations Security Council resolutions.
A JCS officer told local news agency Yonhap, "the military is staying vigilant and paying attention to movements of the North Korean military in case of an additional launch."
The North has now carried out 19 rocket or missile tests this year, as it appears to be strengthening its weapons capabilities.
The latest launches coincide with a time of family reunions across both Koreas, in keeping with the ancestral rituals of the three-day Chuseok holiday from Sunday.
The South had been pushing in recent weeks to unite relatives separated by the border in time for this year’s celebrations -- but the North is yet to respond favorably to the offer.
The two Koreas remain divided and technically at war since their 1950-53 conflict ended with a cease-fire rather than a peace treaty.
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