North Korea fires more missiles - Japan wants to convene UN Security Council

North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles from its east coast on Monday. According to the South Korean military, there were two rockets, the Japanese coast guard spoke of three projectiles, which, according to the state broadcaster NHK, all fell within a few minutes outside the Japanese economic zone. North Korea fired a ballistic missile (ICBM) earlier on Saturday after the Pyongyang government threatened a drastic response to annual joint US-South Korean military exercises.

After repeated launches of missiles, Japan wants to request an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said this to reporters at his official residence on Monday.

North Korean leader Kim Yo Jong's sister warned of an increased US presence on the Korean peninsula. "We are carefully evaluating the impact this would have on the security of our state," Kim Yo Jong said in an official statement. "The frequency of using the Pacific as a firing range depends on the behavior of US forces." North Korea has "satisfactory" missile technology and capability and will "now concentrate on increasing the quantity of its armed forces".

North Korea completed an unprecedented missile test program last year. In addition, the communist country is preparing for the first test of nuclear weapons since 2017. South Korea and the USA have responded to the North Korean missile tests with military maneuvers. North Korea sees such exercises as preparation for an invasion.

Meanwhile, the North Korean ruler drew attention to himself again with a joint public appearance with his daughter. A series of similar performances had sparked speculation as to whether this was a way of preparing the child for a future leadership role. Friday's performance was a football match in honor of Kim Jong Un's late father and predecessor, Kim Jong Il, state media reported on Saturday. Cabinet and Defense Department officials competed against each other.

State news agency KCNA said the presence of Kim and his "beloved" daughter, known as Kim Ju Ae and estimated by observers to be around 10 years old, brought "joy and excitement" to Friday's game. Photos released by the state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun showed Kim and his daughter sitting in VIP seats, smiling and clapping their hands amid senior government and military officials, including Kim's sister Kim Yo Jong.

It was Kim Ju Ae's sixth public appearance - and the first with no apparent connection to her father's nuclear ambitions. At the first public meeting, she and he marveled at the test of an ICBM.