US Wants Security Council Meeting After North Korea Fires Missiles

The United States called for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council Wednesday after North Korea launched two missiles in protest of joint American-South Korean military exercises.

The incident marks the first time Pyongyang has test fired Rodong medium-range ballistic missiles since 2009. Pyongyang’s launch is in violation of UN resolutions banning ballistic missile tests, the Associated Press reports.

North Korea’s recent launches have been preceded in recent weeks by shorter-range missile tests from to protest ongoing military drills. North Korean officials says the missile tests are in preparation for a possible invasion. Pyongyang routinely protests annual exercises between the U.S. and South Korea, but Wednesday’s ballistic missile firing marks a noted escalation in tensions on the peninsula.

[AP]