North Korea re-launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile on Sunday, the seventh test this month. which reaffirms its intention to reinforce national defenses in the midst of an escalation of tension in the region.
Both the South Korean army and the Japanese Ministry of Defense considered that the projectile launched today by the regime is a ballistic missile, a type of weapons test that once once more violates United Nations resolutions.
According to the assessment of the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), The launch took place at 7.52 local time this Sunday (22:52 GMT on Saturday), from the northern province of Jagang, border with China and it is a mid-range model (IRBM).
The projectile traveled 800 kilometers east towards the Sea of Japan, called the East Sea in the two Koreas, and would have reached a maximum altitude of 2,000 kilometers without entering the waters of Japan’s exclusive economic zone or reporting damage, according to the Japanese government. .
Tension and “challenge” on the Korean peninsula
The South Korean president, Moon Jae-in, rushed this Sunday to convene, for the first time in a year, a meeting of the National Security Council of his country, since there are seven demonstrations of force by Pyongyang this month and fears are growing that it will end the moratorium on intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear tests.
Moon called this latest launch by the North a “challenge to the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, peace and stability, and the diplomatic efforts of the international community, as well as an act that violates the United Nations Security Council resolution.” , according to statements to local media.
South Korean President calls for the cessation of tension and for North Korea to respond to international requests and resume dialogue.
For his part, the Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, also called a meeting of his Security Council for this Sunday and in statements to the press he stated that he “strongly condemns” this new launch that “violates the resolutions of the United Nations” already which Tokyo “strongly protests”.
The US Army has also urged Pyongyang to refrain from “destabilizing” acts, according to a statement issued by the Indo-Pacific Command collected by the Japanese Kyodo agency.
Chronology of a month of diversified tests
The launch takes place following last Thursday the 27th the regime fired two surface-to-surface tactical missiles, as well as another cruise missile test carried out on Tuesday the 25th from inside the country.
On January 5 and 11, North Korea carried out its first two tests of the year, launching what it claims were hypersonic missiles, difficult to detect by radar systems.
Then, on the 14th and 17th, the Asian country launched short-range ballistic missiles, which determines the regime’s determination to test its weapons from various points in the country and various platforms such as a train.
Leader Kim Jong-un opened the New Year with a message highlighting the need to strengthen national defenses and showing no intention of resuming the stalled dialogue on denuclearization in the short term, only to begin shortly following this unusual series of tests in a single month.
Added to this is Pyongyang’s threat launched a week ago regarding the possible resumption of its nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests, noting that he is considering resuming all his “temporarily suspended actions” in defense matters.
The escalation of Pyongyang’s provocations has led to new sanctions from Washington once morest five representatives of North Korean organizations and, together with six members of the UN Security Council, they have called for more pressure on the country.
