According to South Korea and Japan, North Korea has launched another ballistic missile. The South Korean general staff announced on Thursday that the missile was probably a medium- or long-range missile. It started at 7:23 a.m. (local time) near Pyongyang. According to the Japanese Coast Guard, the projectile fell into the sea east of North Korea.
Japan’s authorities had previously warned residents of the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido and planes in the region of the projectile at around 8 a.m. (local time, 1 a.m. CEST). The warning was later lifted. The Japanese television station NTV even reported that several projectiles were fired, which may have been ballistic missiles.
The launch came two days following North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called for the country’s war deterrent to the United States to be stepped up in “more practical and offensive” ways.
The range of medium-range missiles exceeds 800 kilometers, that of long-range missiles 5,500 kilometers. UN decisions ban North Korea from testing ballistic missiles of any range. Such missiles can be armed with one or more nuclear warheads. The country is subject to harsh international sanctions for its nuclear weapons and missile programs.
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula are currently escalating once more. After an unprecedented series of missile tests last year, North Korea has once more tested nuclear-capable missiles including ICBMs and guided missiles this year. The US and its ally South Korea resumed full-scale joint military exercises. North Korea has criticized this.
