South Korea, US fire 8 missiles in response to N Korea missile tests

South Korea and the United States launched eight missiles on Monday, in response to a volley of ballistic missiles fired by North Korea the previous day. According to media reports, South Korea's President Yoon Suk-Yeol said, his government would respond sternly to any provocation from its northern neighbour. He further said, we will make sure there is not a single crack in protecting the lives of our people. Speaking at a war memorial event in Seoul, the President added that North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes are reaching the level of threatening not only peace on the Korean Peninsula, but also in Northeast Asia and the world.  The US and South Korea regularly hold joint military exercises.The Joint Chiefs of Staff said the allies launched the ground-to-ground Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missile at targets in the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, in the early morning. The 10-minute volley comes a day after North Korea launched eight short-range ballistic missiles following a South Korea-US joint military exercise involving a US aircraft carrier.
It is the second retaliatory display from the US and South Korea in as many weeks, with a similar move made last week after Pyongyang fired a series of missiles in the immediate aftermath of US President Joe Biden's visit to the region.Earlier, North Korea had fired several missiles off its east coast. Pyongyang has doubled down on upgrading its weapons programme this year, despite facing crippling economic sanctions, with officials and analysts warning that the regime is preparing to carry out a fresh nuclear test.