North Korea fired a new ballistic missile on Thursday, a few hours before a visit by the South Korean president to Japan, the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul announced.
North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) toward the Sea of Japan on Thursday, hours ahead of a visit to Tokyo by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, according to the military in Seoul.
“Our army detected a long-range ballistic missile fired from the Sunan area in Pyongyang,” the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said, adding that it was an ICBM.
Washington and Seoul have strengthened their defense cooperation in the face of growing military and nuclear threats from North Korea, which has increased weapons tests in recent months.
Third launch this week
This new show of force comes a few hours before a visit to Tokyo by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to notably address the question of North Korean missile and nuclear weapons programs, and at a time when Seoul and Washington are conducting military maneuvers common that Pyongyang sees as rehearsals of an invasion of its territory.
South Korea’s military said North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles on Tuesday – its first launch since the start of the largest US-South Korea exercise in five years, dubbed “Freedom Shield”.
On Sunday, Pyongyang also fired two strategic cruise missiles from a submarine.
Rarely, the South Korean military revealed in early March that special forces from Washington and Seoul would organize “Teak Knife” military maneuvers (which consist of simulating precision strikes on key installations in North Korea) before “Freedom Shield”.
The “Freedom Shield” exercises focus on “the changing security environment” due to the redoubled aggressiveness of North Korea, the allies said.
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