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North Korea conducted a live-fire exercise involving its ultra-precision 600-millimeter large-caliber multiple rocket launchers, which it has named "Sniper," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Oct. 30. The exercise took place the previous day, Oct. 29, and was observed by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, his daughter Ju-ae and his wife Ri Sol-ju, among others. / Yonhap News Agency

South Korea, the United States and Japan shared relevant information and discussed future responses to North Korea's ballistic missile launches.

According to South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Oct. 30, Baek Yong-jin, director-general for Korean Peninsula policy at the ministry, held telephone consultations with David Wilezol, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for Japan and Korea, and Takashi Ariyoshi, deputy director-general of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau at Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, regarding North Korea's ballistic missile launches the previous day.

The three officials shared relevant information and discussed future responses.

"A channel is in operation among the diplomatic authorities of South Korea, the United States and Japan to promptly share relevant information and assessments of the situation whenever North Korea launches ballistic missiles," a foreign ministry official said.

According to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), North Korea launched around a dozen short-range ballistic missiles from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea at approximately 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 29.

The launches came 17 days after North Korea's previous missile launch and six days after the South Korean military proposed inter-Korean military talks.

The missiles detected by the South Korean military flew approximately 250 kilometers.

"They are believed to have been launched from 600-millimeter multiple rocket launchers, and North Korea appears to be conducting exercises using various means," a JCS official said.

"Further analysis is needed to determine whether different types of weapons were fired in combination," the official added.

                                                                                                             Lee Han-sol