On Sunday, North Korea launched a missile towards the sea, according to reports from neighboring countries. Japan’s Defense Ministry and coast guard confirmed that a missile, believed to be from North Korea, was fired on Sunday morning, but did not provide further details. South Korea’s military, as reported by Yonhap news agency, stated that North Korea had launched a ballistic missile towards its eastern waters. However, calls to the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff were not immediately answered.
This launch would be North Korea’s third round of weapons testing since the joint military drills between the U.S. and South Korea began last week. North Korea views these drills as a practice for an invasion, while the U.S. and South Korea argue that their training is solely defensive in nature. The joint drills, which include computer simulations and field exercises, are set to continue until Thursday.
North Korea has recently tested its longest-range intercontinental ballistic missile, the Hwasong-17, which is designed to strike the U.S. mainland. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was quoted by state media as saying that the ICBM launch was intended to “strike fear into the enemies.”
