Pyongyang has carried out another ballistic test off its eastern coast, the South Korean military and the Japanese coast guard said on Wednesday local time. This announcement comes after North Korea said last week that it had tested a new intercontinental missile.
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North Korea continues its weapons tests. The country fired a ballistic missile into the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, the South Korean news agency Yonhap reported Wednesday, citing the South Korean army headquarters.
The launch, which comes as Seoul and Washington have intensified their defense cooperation amid heightened inter-Korean tensions, was also denounced by the Japanese coast guard, Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported.
The South Korean military said it was still analyzing the type of missile fired, according to Yonhap.
Relations between the two Koreas, at their lowest point
This firing is the latest in a series of missile tests by Pyongyang, coming less than a week after leader Kim Jong-un personally supervised the firing of the country’s latest intercontinental ballistic missile, the Hwasong-18. solid fuel.
Inter-Korean relations are currently at an all-time low, with diplomatic relations between Pyongyang and Seoul at a standstill and Kim Jong-un calling for weapons development, including tactical nuclear weapons, to be accelerated.
In response, South Korea and the United States have intensified their defense cooperation, holding major joint military exercises.
This missile launch also comes as Washington confirmed on Tuesday that a US soldier was likely captured by North Korean soldiers after crossing the heavily guarded and fortified border separating the two Koreas.
*With AFP; adapted from its original in French
Source: France 24
