North Korea launches ballistic missiles toward sea

World North Korea launches ballistic missiles toward sea April 18, 20268:54 PM ET By  The Associated Press FILE - In this photo provided by the North Korean government, its leader Kim Jong Un, center, visits to observe the test launches of missiles at an undisclosed place in North Korea Sunday, April 12, 2026. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. AP/KCNA via KNS hide caption toggle caption AP/KCNA via KNS SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles toward the sea on Sunday, its neighbors said, the North's latest weapons testing activity this year. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the launches happened on Sunday morning from the North's eastern Sinpo area. It said South Korea has bolstered its surveillance posture and is closely exchanging information with the U.S. and Japan. World North Korea says its latest weapons tests included missiles with cluster-bomb warheads South Korea's presidential office said its National Security Council plans to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the launches. Japan's Defense Ministry also detected the launches, saying the weapons were believed to have landed in the waters off North Korea's east coast. It said Tokyo strongly protested to Pyongyang, saying Sunday's launches threaten regional and international peace and violated U.N. Security Council resolutions that bans any ballistic activities by North Korea. Last week, North Korea said leader Kim Jong Un supervised missile tests from the country's destroyer. After the test, Kim said his government remained focused on the "limitless expansion" of its nuclear forces and issued unspecified new tasks to sharpen the country's nuclear attack and rapid-...