North Korea Fires Unspecified Ballistic Missile, Says South Korea

South Korea has referred to as the nuclear-armed North Korea its “enemy” (File)

Seoul:

North Korea fired a minimum of one unspecified ballistic missile Saturday, South Korea’s navy stated. Pyongyang’s first check for the reason that begin of the 12 months that comes days earlier than Seoul and Washington are as a result of begin joint tabletop workout routines.

“North Korea fires an unidentified ballistic missile into (the) East Sea,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Employees stated, referring to the physique of water often known as the Sea of Japan.

Tokyo additionally confirmed the launch, with the defence ministry saying that Pyongyang had launched a “attainable ballistic missile,” with out giving additional particulars.

Army tensions have risen on the Korean peninsula after a 12 months through which North Korea declared itself an “irreversible” nuclear state, and carried out sanctions-busting weapons checks almost each month.

In response, Seoul has ramped up joint navy drills with key safety ally Washington, in a bid to persuade the more and more nervous South Korean public of America’s dedication to discourage Pyongyang.

The Saturday launch — Pyongyang’s first since January 1 — got here days earlier than Seoul and Washington are as a result of kick off a brand new tabletop train in Washington, through which the 2 allies will focus on how they might reply to using nuclear weapons by Pyongyang.

The train subsequent week will deal with “joint planning, joint administration and joint response with Washington’s nuclear property” in case of a nuclear assault by Pyongyang, a South Korean defence ministry official instructed AFP on Friday.

Pyongyang on Friday threatened an “unprecedentedly” robust response to imminent US-South Korea drills, describing them as preparations for battle.

If Washington and Seoul go forward with the drills, “they are going to face unprecedentedly persistent and robust counteractions”, a spokesperson for the North Korean international ministry stated Friday.

South Korea’s hawkish President Yoon Suk Yeol, who took workplace in Could 2022, has vowed to get powerful on the North, and had moved to rapidly ramp up joint drills, which had been scaled again throughout the Covid pandemic.

They have been additionally paused for a bout of ill-fated diplomacy with Pyongyang underneath his predecessor.

– No talks, extra missiles –

South Korea additionally referred to as the nuclear-armed North its “enemy” in a defence doc earlier this week, the primary time in six years it has used the time period, signalling an additional hardening of Seoul’s place towards Pyongyang.

North Korea’s missile checks final 12 months additionally included one which landed close to South Korea’s territorial waters for the primary time for the reason that finish of the Korean Battle in 1953.

In December, it despatched 5 drones throughout the border into Seoul’s airspace, together with skies close to its presidential workplace.

Pyongyang has repeatedly stated it isn’t thinking about additional talks, and North Korean chief Kim Jong Un not too long ago referred to as for an “exponential” enhance in his nation’s nuclear arsenal.

At a navy parade in Pyongyang final week, North Korea confirmed off a report variety of nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missiles, together with what analysts stated was presumably a brand new solid-fuelled ICBM.

The weapons on present included a minimum of 10 of the North’s largest Hwasong-17 ICBMs, in addition to autos apparently designed to hold a solid-fuelled ICBM.

North Korea has lengthy sought to develop a solid-fuel ICBM as a result of such missiles are simpler to retailer and transport, are extra steady and faster to organize for launch, and thus more durable for america to detect and destroy pre-emptively.

(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)