South Korea’s military command said a ballistic missile launch was detected around 7:27 local time from inside North Korea toward the ocean off its east coast.
Kyodo news agency reported that the missile fell outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
Pyongyang’s missile test was conducted just hours after the UN Security Council met Monday to discuss North Korea’s test last week, during which a hypersonic missile was successfully launched, hitting a planned target some 700 kilometers away.
During the Security Council meeting, the United States, Albania, France, Ireland, Japan and the United Kingdom, in a joint statement, called on North Korea to “refrain from further destabilizing actions.”
US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas, said we call on North Korea to refrain from further destabilizing actions, abandon prohibited weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs, and engage in constructive dialogue for our common goal of denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. Fully. – Greenfield.
Experts note that Pyongyang conducted its last nuclear or ICBM tests in 2017. Since then, it has focused on systems more suitable for direct maneuvering and missile defense.
Reuters reports that in his New Year’s address, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un emphasized that he would strengthen his army further “to counter the precarious international situation in the face of belated talks with South Korea and the United States.” Pyongyang maintains that it is open to peace talks, but only if the United States and other countries abandon “hostile policies,” that is, withdraw sanctions and abandon military exercises near North Korean waters.
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