(VOVWORLD) - North Korea fired several cruise missiles towards the Yellow Sea in the early hours of Saturday, said South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, adding details of the launch were being analyzed by South Korean and US intelligence authorities.
It was the latest in a series of missile tests and military exercises conducted by the North in recent weeks including a failed spy satellite launch late last month. It's an act of hostility that threatens the peace on the Korean peninsula, a spokesperson for the ruling People Power Party said.
Seoul announced sanctions on Friday on five North Korean individuals and one company in response to Pyongyang's launch of what it said was a space rocket last month. State media KCNA earlier reported that Pyongyang had conducted a simulated "scorched-earth" nuclear strike on targets across South Korea.
The joint annual summertime exercises between South Korea and the US known as the Ulchi Freedom Shield came to a close on Thursday after an 11-day run featuring air drills with B-1B bombers.