All national dailies wrote from Seoul that a source connected with the South Korean military said on Tuesday that North Korea fired what appeared to be two cruise missiles into the sea off its east coast on Tuesday. The papers wrote that U.S. and South Korean military authorities are assessing the launches to determine the nature of the projectiles. This was North Korea’s fifth missile test this year, following four short-range ballistic missile launches earlier this month. The papers wrote that although the firing of a cruise missile by the North is not banned under the UN Security Council’s sanctions resolutions, such a missile is believed to be difficult to track by radar because it flies at a low altitude. According to South Korean media reports, the DPRK fired the two missiles between 8 and 9 a.m. on Tuesday. 

Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno told reporters that the projectiles apparently splashed down outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone or territorial waters and that no damage has been reported. Matsuno added that Japan will gather and analyze information by closely working with the United States and South Korea.