It comes as the North is expected to further raise regional animosities in an election year for its rivals South Korea and the United States.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea launched an unidentified ballistic missile off the North’s east coast but gave no further details like how far the weapon flew, AP reported.
Japan’s Defense Ministry also said it detected a possible ballistic missile launch by North Korea. Japan’s Coast Guard, quoting the Defense Ministry, said the suspected missile was believed to have landed in the ocean.
It was the North’s first missile launch in 2024. The last time North Korea performed a public missile launch was Dec. 18, when it test-fired its Hwasong-18 solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile, the North’s most advanced weapon. The Hwasong-18 is designed to strike the mainland US.
Sunday’s launch came days after North Korea fired a barrage of artillery shells near the disputed western sea boundary with South Korea, prompting South Korea to conduct similar firing exercises in the same area.
SD/PR
