ROK JCS: DPRK fires around ten unidentified ballistic missiles from the Sunan area into the East Sea

[The Financial News] The Republic of Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff (ROK JCS) announced that at around 1:30 p.m. on the 14th, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) fired around ten unidentified ballistic missiles from the Dongsunan area toward the East Sea.
The ROK JCS said it detected the launches in advance. The South Korean military has strengthened surveillance and vigilance in preparation for additional launches, and is maintaining a full readiness posture while closely sharing information on the "DPRK ballistic missiles" with the United States and Japan.
This is the DPRK's first ballistic missile provocation in 47 days and its third this year. Previously, on January 27, the DPRK launched a ballistic missile into the East Sea. It then fired cruise missiles from the destroyer Choi Hyun-ho on the 4th and 10th of this month.
The ROK JCS is analyzing the specifications, range, and other details of the projectiles. From the 9th to the 19th, South Korea and the United States are conducting Freedom Shield (FS), a combined exercise designed to prepare for contingencies on the Korean Peninsula. The latest DPRK provocation is believed to be an armed demonstration in protest against this South Korea–United States FS combined exercise.
In addition, the launches are also being interpreted as timed to coincide with the visit to South Korea by Michael DeSombre, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the United States Department of State (State Department), who arrived on the 11th.
wangjylee@fnnews.com Lee Jong-yoon Reporter