On Thursday, a 'Beautiful' Letter From Kim. On Saturday, a New Launch

North Korea fired what appeared to be 2 short-range ballistic missiles into the sea on Saturday
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 10, 2019 9:00 AM CDT
N. Korea Just Fired Off 2 More Missiles: Report
In this July 25, 2019, photo, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watches a missile test in North Korea.   (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File)

After four rounds of reported missile launches over the last two weeks, North Korea has apparently added a fifth. Per the AP, South Korea's military says that on Saturday, the North fired from its east coast what appeared to be two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea between Japan and the Korean Peninsula. The projectiles flew about 250 miles, with an apogee of 30 miles, per South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff. Seoul's Blue House says the new tests were likely meant to be another sign of Kim Jong Un's displeasure with joint military drills that the US and South Korea are holding, as well as a test of how reliable the weapons are. The New York Times notes this latest launch comes just a day after President Trump told reporters at the White House he'd received a "beautiful" three-page letter from Kim on Thursday that was "very positive."

On Twitter Saturday morning, Trump expanded on the letter reportedly sent by Kim. "He stated, very nicely, that he would like to meet and start negotiations as soon as the joint U.S./South Korea joint exercise are over," Trump posted. "It was a long letter, much of it complaining about the ridiculous and expensive exercises. It was also a small apology for testing the short range missiles, and that this testing would stop when the exercises end." He added that he hoped to meet again with Kim in "the not so distant future" and said "a nuclear free North Korea will lead to one of the most successful countries in the world!" (More North Korea stories.)

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