(ATTN: UPDATES with Trump's remarks in 13-15 paras) By Oh Seok-min SEOUL, Aug. 24 (Yonhap) -- North Korea fired two projectiles presumed to be short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea on Saturday, South Korea's military said, ratcheting up tensions even after the end of a joint military exercise between the South and the United States. The projectiles were fired at 6:45 a.m. and 7:02 a.m. from the eastern town of Sondok in South Hamgyong Province into the East Sea, and both flew around 380 kilometers at a maximum altitude of 97 km and a top speed of around Mach 6.5, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). "Our military is monitoring the situation in case of additional launches and maintaining a readiness posture," the JCS said in a release, adding the South Korean and the U.S. intelligence authorities are analyzing their exact type. Saturday's firings marked the seventh round of such launches since July 25 when the North broke a 17-month hiatus and started fi

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(ATTN: UPDATES paras 3-4; ADDS photo) SEOUL, Aug. 24 (Yonhap) -- Police have launched a probe after a video and photos of a South Korean man allegedly threatening and beating a Japanese woman went viral on social media, they said Saturday. "We have found the victim and the suspect in the alleged assault case, which occurred the previous day, and contacted them," an official at Seoul Mapo Police Station said. Police later called in both the victim and the suspect and investigated the details of the incident. The man, however, denied the allegations against him, claiming he never assaulted the Japanese woman and that the video was fabricated. In the video that went viral online, the man threateningly follows the woman, hurling insults. The video accompanied multiple photos of the man allegedly beating the woman. The woman reportedly said the man began threatening her near the university district of Hongdae in western Seoul when she ignored him as he followed her. P

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(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; ADDS details in last 4 paras, photo) SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean armed forces launched a two-day military exercise to defend the easternmost islets of Dokdo on Sunday, in a show of its staunch defense stance against Japan's repeated sovereignty over the cluster of rocks in the East Sea. The Navy announced that the drill involves Navy, Air Force and Army forces, such as naval warships and aircraft, as well as Army and Marine Corp troops. The drills have been held twice a year, usually in June and December, to better fend off possible foreign infiltrations to the rocky outcroppings and the surrounding waters. But this year's drills have been pushed back amid an escalating trade row with Japan stemming from differences over wartime forced labor. Japan, which has made territorial claims to Dokdo, has protested the drills. "In consideration of the drill's significance and size, the military named it the 'East Sea territory defens

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SEOUL, Aug. 24 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump has said he will see "what happens" regarding South Korea's decision to pull out from a military intelligence-sharing deal with Japan, referring to South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as his good friends. Asked about Seoul's decision Thursday to end the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) amid a bilateral dispute over trade and history, Trump told reporters, "We are going to see what happens." He made the remarks on Friday (Washington time) before departing for the Group of Seven talks in France. On a separate question, Trump said he is looking forward to meeting Abe there, describing the Japanese leader as "a great gentleman" and "a great friend" of his. "President Moon is also a very good friend of mine. We will see what happens with South Korea," Trump told reporters, according to a video released by the cable channel C-Span. The United States has expr

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By Yoo Jee-ho INCHEON, Aug. 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korea lost to Lithuania 86-57 in a tuneup game for the men's basketball world championship on Saturday, unable to match the Europeans' sharp shooting in the second half. After some sloppy basketball by both teams in the first half, world No. 6 Lithuania blew 32nd-ranked South Korea off the floor over the last two quarters to start a four-nation tournament at Samsan World Gymnasium in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul. Lithuania drained eight three-pointers in the second half, after making just one from six attempts in the first half. South Korea is hosting the four-day tournament in preparation for the FIBA Basketball World Cup, scheduled to run from Aug. 31 to Sept. 15 in China. South Korea will next play the Czech Republic at 3 p.m. Sunday, and then Angola at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday. All four countries here will compete at the FIBA World Cup. For Lithuania, Domantas Sabonis of the Indiana Pacers was sidelined with

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(ATTN: ADDS more details in last 4 paras, photo; CLARIFIES 4th para) By Oh Seok-min SEOUL, Aug. 24 (Yonhap) -- North Korea fired two projectiles presumed to be short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea on Saturday, South Korea's military said, ratcheting up tensions even after the end of a joint military exercise between the South and the United States. The projectiles were fired at 6:45 a.m. and 7:02 a.m. from the eastern town of Sondok in South Hamgyong Province into the East Sea, and both flew around 380 kilometers at a maximum altitude of 97 km and a top speed of around Mach 6.5, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). "Our military is monitoring the situation in case of additional launches and maintaining a readiness posture," the JCS said in a release, adding the South Korean and the U.S. intelligence authorities are analyzing their exact type. Saturday's firings marked the ninth round of such launches so far this year and the fifth this month, with the

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(ATTN: UPDATES info in paras 4, 5, 7) SEOUL, Aug. 24 (Yonhap) -- Police have launched a probe after a video and photos of a South Korean man allegedly threatening and beating a Japanese woman went viral on social media, they said Saturday. "We have found the victim and the suspect in the alleged assault case, which occurred the previous day, and contacted them," an official at Seoul Mapo Police Station said. Police later called in both the victim and the suspect and investigated the details of the incident. The man denied the allegations against him, claiming he never physically assaulted the Japanese woman and that the video was fabricated, although he admitted that he grabbed her hair. Police said the video doesn't appear to be fake, adding that the man could be booked on charges of assault and insult if the allegations are confirmed. In the video that went viral online, the man threateningly follows the woman, hurling insults. The video accompanied multiple photos

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SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- North Korea said Sunday that it has successfully tested a 'new' super-large multiple rocket launch system the previous day under the guidance of leader Kim Jong-un. Kim "guided the test-fire of newly developed super-large multiple rocket launcher on Saturday," the Korean Central News Agency said in an article. "The test-fire proved that all the tactical and technological specifications of the system correctly reached the preset indexes." On Saturday, South Korea's military announced that the North fired two projectiles presumed to be short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast, saying both flew around 380 kilometers at a maximum altitude of 97 km. kokobj@yna.co.kr

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(END)

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(ATTN: ADDS details and background info throughout) By Koh Byung-joon SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- North Korea said Sunday that it has successfully tested a 'new' super-large multiple rocket launch system the previous day under the guidance of leader Kim Jong-un. Kim "guided the test-fire of newly developed super-large multiple rocket launcher on Saturday," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. "The test-fire proved that all the tactical and technological specifications of the system correctly reached the preset indexes." The KCNA added that Kim underscored the need to push for "an indomitable offensive campaign" and intensify the development of its own style of strategic and tactical weapons "for resolutely frustrating the ever-mounting military threats and pressure offensive of the hostile forces." On Saturday, South Korea's military announced that the North fired two projectiles presumed to be short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast, saying both flew around

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