SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile toward the east coast of the Korean peninsula on Sunday, South Korea and Japan said. armed.
A South Korean military statement said the missile was launched from Dongchang-ri on the west coast at around 11:05 am (0205 GMT) and flew about 800 km (500 miles) before hitting its target. Japan’s defense ministry said the missile he flew as high as 50 km (30 miles).
Seoul has condemned North Korea’s recent ballistic missile launch as a “clear violation” of UN Security Council resolutions.
Shortly after the launch, South Korea’s defense ministry said the United States had deployed the B-1B strategic bomber for joint aviation training.
The launch also sparked criticism from Tokyo and Washington.
“North Korea’s actions threaten international peace and security and are unacceptable,” Japan’s Senior Defense Minister Toshiro Ino said at a press conference, adding that Japan had lodged a strong protest through the North Korean embassy in Beijing.
The US Indo-Pacific Command said Sunday’s launch poses no immediate threat to US personnel or its allies. But recent missile launches have highlighted the destabilizing impact of Pyongyang’s illegal weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile program, the statement said.
North Korea has a suspected intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in the sea between the Korean peninsula and Japan on Thursday, hours before the South Korean president flew to Tokyo for a summit to discuss ways to counter North Korea. Fired something.
North Korea said Thursday’s intercontinental ballistic missile launch was a warning against US-South Korea military exercises, state media KCNA reported.
The South Korean and American armed forces began a week ago with an 11-day exercise dubbed “Freedom Shield 23” on a scale not seen since 2017.
North Korea has also criticized US and UN Secretary-General António Guterres for raising human rights abuses at a recent informal meeting of the UN Security Council, calling the move a “serious challenge” to North Korea. Yes, KCNA reported later that day. its sovereignty.
North Korea’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations said, according to state media, “The United States launched a ‘human rights’ campaign against North Korea at the United Nations, while at the same time engaging in an active joint military campaign that poses grave threats to our national security.” I practiced,” he said. .
Reported by Hyunsu Yim. Additional reporting by Kevin Buckland.Edited by Jacqueline Wong, William Mallard and Lincoln Feast
Our standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
