North Korea fires ballistic missile towards sea off east coast, South says

SEOUL, May 4 (BNA) – North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the sea off its east coast on Wednesday, South Korea’s military said, about a week after North Korea pledged to develop its nuclear forces “as quickly as possible.”


The launch, which marks North Korea’s 14th weapons test this year, comes days before newly-elected South Korean President Yun Suk-yeol takes office on May 10, Reuters reported.


The South Korean military said it detected the launch at noon today in the Sunan region of Pyongyang. Sinan is where North Korea last launched what it claimed was a Hwasong-17, a “new type” of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), on March 24.


The Japan Coast Guard also said it discovered what appeared to be a ballistic missile launched from North Korea, and that the projectile had indeed landed.


Details of the projectile, including its flight range and height, were not immediately available.


The latest launch came less than three weeks after North Korea launched a new tactical guided weapon on April 16 aimed at bolstering the country’s nuclear capabilities.


Pyongyang recently ramped up weapons testing, and resumed firing long-range missiles for the first time since 2017 in March. Officials in Seoul and Washington say it may also be preparing for a new round of nuclear tests.


Last week, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to speed up the development of his country’s nuclear arsenal while overseeing a massive military parade as denuclearization talks with the United States remain stalled.

READ MORE  Client Technical Specialist - Application Resource Management | Job in Cairo, Egypt by IBM Middle East | GulfTalent


“Our military maintains a state of readiness while closely monitoring related activities for possible additional launches,” the South Korean military said in a statement.


M







Source link

Leave a Comment