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Once Again, North Korea Fires Missiles To Send Message

In Pyongyang, North Korea, last July, this short-range missile was among the military hardware on parade.
Kyodo/Landov
In Pyongyang, North Korea, last July, this short-range missile was among the military hardware on parade.

"North Korea fired four projectiles believed to be short-range ballistic missiles off its southeast coast Thursday," South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reports, citing a "South Korean defense ministry official" as its source.

Reuters notes that "the firing came days after the beginning of annual joint U.S. and South Korean military exercises which the North routinely denounces as preparation for war."

The Guardian adds that "North Korea regularly carries out short-range missile tests, and has used them before to display its anger at the annual military exercises. Observers said the tests were unlikely to trigger a significant rise in military tensions."

The missiles fired Thursday are believed to have had a range of about 125 miles.

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Mark Memmott is NPR's supervising senior editor for Standards & Practices. In that role, he's a resource for NPR's journalists – helping them raise the right questions as they do their work and uphold the organization's standards.