SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea launched a ballistic missile into the sea off its east coast late on Monday, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. Japan’s defense ministry also confirmed the launch, suggesting it could be a ballistic missile from North Korea.
This development occurs amidst escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula, as South Korea and the United States enhance military preparedness in response to North Korea’s weapons program by deploying strategic military assets from the U.S.
North Korea strongly criticized the deployment, suggesting it could be an adequate reason for using its nuclear weapons. Last week, North Korea conducted ballistic missile tests shortly after a U.S. nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine arrived at a South Korean port, marking the first such occurrence since the 1980s. Subsequently, on Monday, another nuclear-powered U.S. submarine arrived in South Korea.
During the weekend, North Korea further intensified tensions by firing a series of cruise missiles into the sea off its west coast.
Reporting on the matter was conducted by Jack Kim in Seoul and Chang-Ran Kim in Tokyo. Alison Williams and Andrew Heavens carried out the editing.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
