S Korea: North Korea Launches Short-Range Ballistic Missile toward Sea

By Staff, Agencies

South Korea's military announced that its Northern rival launched a short-range ballistic missile toward the waters off its east coast on Thursday, in a series of weapons tests by North Korea this year.

The military detected the launch from North Korea's eastern coastal Wonsan area around 5 p.m. [0900 GMT], the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

It said South Korea's military has bolstered its surveillance posture and is closely coordinating with the US and Japan.

Japan’s Defense Ministry also said that North Korea fired a possible ballistic missile but there was no impact in or around Japan.

Last month, leader Kim Jong Un supervised tests of a nuclear-capable cruise missile and other weapons aboard a new 5,000-ton destroyer. After years of prioritizing ballistic missile development, Kim has increasingly turned his focus to naval capabilities, including the construction of a nuclear-powered submarine.

While outlining his five-year military goals at the Workers’ Party congress in February, Kim also called for intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of underwater launches.

In recent years, Kim has also boosted his diplomatic credentials by expanding ties with Russia. North Korea has supplied conventional weapons and troops to Russia to support its war against Ukraine.