North Korea on Saturday launched two ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, in response to joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States.
As detailed by the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, Pyongyang fired two missiles from North Pyongyang province between 11:13 a.m. and 12:05 p.m. (local time), all a month after it fired its last intercontinental ballistic missile, which flew a distance of 1,000 kilometers, Yonhap reported.
«While strengthening our monitoring and surveillance activities, our military maintains a full readiness posture in close cooperation with the U.S.,» the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
The ballistic missile launch reportedly took place in reaction to the UN’s adoption, for the 18th consecutive year, of a resolution on North Korea’s Human Rights, and Japan’s adoption of a security strategy that ensures counter-attack capabilities to enemy bases.
Moreover, this new launch comes one day after the 11th anniversary of the death of Kim Jong Il, the former North Korean leader and father of Kim Jong Un.
During 2022, North Korea has fired 63 ballistic missiles and launched three cruise missiles, as reported by South Korean media.
This new test by Pyongyang further escalates tensions in the region after North Korea has in recent months launched dozens of ballistic missiles in tests banned by UN Security Council resolutions, in response to US-North Korean military maneuvers that it considers an invasion rehearsal.
The United States, as well as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has shared its evidence that North Korea is «likely» to conduct a nuclear missile test, its first since 2017, after noting an escalation of tension in recent months.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
