[Photo] N. Korea launches two projectiles from Tongchon, Kangwon Province

According to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), North Korea launched two projectiles from Tongchon, Kangwon Province, early in the morning on Aug. 16. The JCS did not provide further details regarding the projectiles, but simply stated that they were closely observing the North’s activity and adopting a posture of military readiness. The launches were the North’s first since Aug. 10. The launch is seen as an expression of North Korea’s opposition to South Korea-US joint military exercises and to South Korea’s mid-term defense plan for 2020-2024, which was released by the Ministry of National Defense (MND) on Aug. 14