North Korea has tested a nuclear-capable missile with a range of thousands of kilometers before the start of a visit by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to Japan.
South Korea’s military detected the launch of a long-range missile in the area around the North Korean capital Pyongyang on Thursday morning (local time), the general staff in Seoul said.
The rocket flew about 1000 kilometers towards the Sea of Japan (Korean: East Sea), where it fell into the water. South Korea and Japan condemned North Korea’s weapons test. At a meeting, Yoon accused the northern neighboring country of serious provocation.
North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile program is viewed as a threat by the US and its Asian allies South Korea and Japan.
It was therefore expected that Yoon’s meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida this Thursday would focus not only on improving bilateral relations between their countries, but also on joint measures against North Korea’s nuclear threat.
After Thursday’s missile test, Yoon threatened that North Korea would “pay a price for its reckless provocations.”
At a meeting of the National Security Council in Seoul, Yoon emphasized that security cooperation with the United States and Japan must be further strengthened, the national news agency Yonhap reported.
The pace of missile testing is increasing
UN resolutions ban Pyongyang from testing ballistic missiles of any range. Such rockets can be equipped with one or more nuclear warheads, depending on their design. North Korea is subject to tough international sanctions because of its nuclear program and is largely isolated.
The range of long-range or intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) exceeds 5500 kilometers. From North Korea, they could theoretically also reach US territory, which Pyongyang accuses of hostile policies.
North Korea tested two cruise missiles with South Korea at the start of new US military exercises on Sunday. According to Pyongyang, the test should also serve as a nuclear deterrent.
Short-range ballistic missiles were launched on Tuesday. The new weapons tests are also seen as a show of strength towards the US and its allies.
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have escalated significantly since last year. North Korea increased the scope and pace of its missile tests. The US and South Korea resumed full-scale joint military exercises. (dpa)
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