South Korea and Japan both disclosed that North Korea launched a ballistic missile into the sea off its eastern coast early this morning, following Pyongyang's recent denial of Seoul's allegations about landmine placement in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
A statement from the South Korean military said the missile was fired from the Wonsan area around 06:30 local time, flying over 700 kilometers. Security officials from South Korea and the United States are currently coordinating to analyze detailed data from this test.
Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force, citing reports from the Japanese Ministry of Defense, announced that the object found is believed to be the ballistic missile which has landed in the sea. They issued warnings urging cargo and fishing vessels in the area to exercise increased caution while navigating.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff stated they have heightened surveillance measures and are closely monitoring the missile test situation, continuously sharing intelligence with the United States and Japan. Meanwhile, the South Korean presidential office called an urgent National Security Council (NSC) meeting on Saturday to evaluate the situation and its security implications immediately.
This year, North Korea has conducted over 10 missile tests, often describing them as trials of new weapons systems. Many of these tests occurred in response to joint military drills between South Korea and the United States.
Trigger of the DMZ border landmine conflict
This missile launch took place just one day after Kim Yo Jong, the influential younger sister of North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, issued a statement rejecting South Korea's demand for an apology. The demand followed an incident where two South Korean soldiers were severely injured by landmines while patrolling the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the 4-kilometer-wide border separating the two countries.
Jung Sung Chang, vice president of the Sejong Institute, a North Korea research center in Seoul, analyzed that this missile test could be North Korea’s attempt to pressure South Korea into responding to Kim Yo Jong’s statement or to test a new missile system.
In recent years, North Korea has clearly taken a more hardened stance toward South Korea, officially abandoning reunification goals and labeling South Korea as its primary enemy.
Source:channelnewsasia
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