During an interview with
North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile toward its eastern sea on Saturday, the South Korean and Japanese militaries said, in its second launch this week, apparently continuing a provocative streak in weapons demonstrations that may culminate with a nuclear test in the coming weeks or months.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff didn't immediately say what kind of weapon the North fired or how far it flew. Japan's Defense Ministry said the launch was possibly ballistic, but didn't immediately provide the flight details.
The launch came three days after South Korea and Japan's militaries detected the North firing a suspected ballistic missile from near its capital, Pyongyang, on Wednesday. It also came three days before the inauguration of South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol, who has vowed to take a tougher approach over the North's nuclear ambitions.
The latest launch was likely North Korea's 15th round of missile firings this year, including its first test of an intercontinental ballistic missile since 2017 that demonstrated the potential range to reach the entirety of the US mainland.
Experts say the unusually fast pace in testing activity underscores a brinkmanship aimed at forcing the United States to accept the idea of the North as a nuclear power and remove crippling sanctions. There are also signs that North Korea is restoring tunnels at a nuclear testing ground, where it had conducted its sixth and last nuclear test in September 2017, in possible preparations for another explosive test.
ALSO READ:
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has punctuated his missile tests with statements warning that the North could proactively use its nuclear weapons if threatened or provoked. Experts say the statement possibly portends an escalatory nuclear doctrine that would create greater concerns for South Korea and Japan.
The South Korean and Japanese militaries said the North Korean missile fired on Wednesday travelled about 500 kilometres (310 miles) at a maximum altitude of 800 kilometres (500 miles). North Korean state media has yet to comment on that test.
During an interview with
This initiative aims to minimise instances of illegal parking
Smart technologies provide precise recommendations, allowing construction teams to save time and effort
Three years after Yang Qian and Yang Haoran won the gold in Tokyo, compatriots Huang and Sheng made sure China retained it
Through this initiative, affected customers won't have to pay two instalments in one month
The astronauts are seen training and carrying an 'Olympic torch'
The Spaniard's impressive round puts him in the perfect position to clinch his first LIV title, as his team, Legion XIII lead the competition
The young motorist was immediately identified and summoned; his vehicle was also seized