(SEOUL) North Korea fired an unidentified ballistic missile into waters off its eastern coast on Sunday, the South Korean military said, days after a US aircraft carrier arrived in the region. nuclear-powered for exercises.
Posted at 6:47 p.m.
Updated at 7:24 p.m.
“North Korea fired an unidentified ballistic missile,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said, without giving further details.
This launch, one of many carried out this year by Pyongyang, also comes following reports that North Korea may be preparing to launch an underwater ballistic missile.
The Japanese Coast Guard also mentioned the possible launch of a ballistic missile, based on information from the Japanese Ministry of Defense, and asked ships to be vigilant.
“Vessels are asked to be alert to any new information, and if you spot any foreign objects, please do not approach them but inform the Coast Guard,” they said.
Japanese public broadcaster NHK said the object in question appears to have fallen outside of Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
The US nuclear-powered ship USS Ronald Reagan and attached vessels docked in the port city of Busan on South Korea’s southern coast on Friday.
This presence responds to Seoul and Washington’s desire to increase the number of American strategic assets operating in the region.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who took office in May, has vowed to step up joint military exercises with the United States after his predecessor failed in diplomatic attempts with North Korea.
The USS Ronald Reagan will soon conduct joint exercises with the South Korean army off the country’s eastern coast.
Washington is Seoul’s main security ally and has about 28,500 troops in South Korea.
The two countries have long conducted joint exercises. They insist on their purely defensive character, but North Korea regards them as rehearsals for an invasion of its territory.
South Korean and American officials have been warning for months that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is preparing to conduct another nuclear test.
In May, Pyongyang conducted a test-fire of a short-range ballistic missile from Sinpo, a major shipyard in North Korea.
The North Korean regime has tested nuclear weapons six times since 2006. The latest and most powerful test came in 2017, with an estimated yield of 250 kilotons. Pyongyang mentioned a hydrogen bomb.