Anthony Kuhn

This week, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister Kim Yo-jong condemned the U.S.-South Korean joint drills and warned of unspecified consequences.

The launch comes amid concern in South Korea that the U.S.

will divert or has already diverted missile defense batteries from South Korea to the Middle East.

South Korea says it's well-equipped to defend itself, and it has opposed the diversion of U.S.

missile defenses, but there's not much they can do about it.

Anthony Kuhn, NPR News, Seoul.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were fired from near the capital Pyongyang and flew eastward into the sea.

Japan also detected the test and filed a protest pointing out that the launch violates UN Security Council resolutions.

This week, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister Kim Yo-jong condemned the U.S.-South Korean joint drills and warned of unspecified consequences.

The launch comes amid concern in South Korea that the U.S.

will divert or has already diverted missile defense batteries from South Korea to the Middle East.

South Korea says it's well-equipped to defend itself, and it has opposed the diversion of U.S.

missile defenses, but there's not much they can do about it.

Anthony Kuhn, NPR News, Seoul.

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That's plus.npr.org.

Japan's Nikkei index fell by 7 percent in morning trading, and South Korea's Kospi index plunged by 8 percent.

Both recovered slightly by afternoon.

Japan relies on the Middle East for 95% of its oil imports.

Reuters reports that the government has instructed one storage facility to prepare to release some of its crude oil reserves, although the government says it hasn't made a decision on that yet.