North Korea fires missiles as G-20 summit concludes

North Korea today fired three medium-range missiles that landed near Japan as the Group of 20 economic summit finished meeting in China. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff described the launches as an armed protest and a demonstration of North Korea’s military might. The North wants to build longer-range nuclear missiles that could strike the U.S. mainland, but it is not believed to have that capability yet. Missile tests such as this are common when international attention is focused on Northeast Asia. At the G-20 summit, which concluded today, participants agreed to work together to try to revive international trade and investment at a time when many economies of the major world powers are lagging.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.