SEOUL North Korea has launched a new ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan, the second in less than 48 hours, South Korea’s general staff said in Seoul.
“North Korea has launched an unidentified ballistic missile into the East Sea,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff told the official Yonhap news agency, referring to the name they use to call the Sea of Japan.
Japan’s Defense Ministry said the two missiles landed in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. The Japanese government condemned the launches as “a threat to the peace and security of Japan and international society”.
According to Japanese officials, the first missile reached a maximum altitude of 100 kilometers and flew up to 400 kilometers. The second rocket reached an altitude of about 50 kilometers and flew a distance of 350 kilometers (217 miles).
A Hwasong15 ICBM is launched from Pyongyang International Airport in this image taken by North Korea’s state news agency. Photo: Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP
A North Korea had already this Sunday, 19. the launch of an ICBM on Saturday the 18th. North Korean officials said the test was designed to bolster its nuclear strike capability against rivals.
The launch came a day before the annual military exercises in between US It is South Koreawhich started this Sunday.
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This Sunday, The US sent B1B bombers to overfly the Korean Peninsula. in training with South Korean and American fighter jets, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said, adding that the training reaffirmed Washington’s security commitment to the South Koreans.
Also on Sunday, Kim Yojong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jongun, spoke of a “appropriate response” to joint military exercises. “The frequency of using the Pacific Ocean as our firing range depends on the actions of American forces,” Kim Yo Jong said in a statement from the official KCNA news agency.
the recordings of ICBMs (short for Intercontinental Ballistic Missile) were North Korea’s first missile tests since Jan. 1.
Regarding Saturday’s launch, KCNA said that the dismissal of the Hwasong15 it was carried out under Kim Jongun’s direct orders. Also, according to the agency, the launch was carried out to check the reliability of the weapon and the combat readiness of the country’s nuclear forces. | AFP and AP