North Korea fired yet another ballistic missile on Wednesday, according to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, marking the first time the country has fired a missile since September 15.
On November 28, Japanese and South Korean officials noticed an increase in radioactivity data suggesting another missile test might be imminent. «North Korea might launch a missile within the next few days,» a Japanese government official told local media.
The projectile flew eastward and is being reviewed by US and South Korean analysts, the South Korean military said. The missile has not been identified, though the US government has confirmed the launch.
Early indications are that #DPRK missile fell into the sea near Japan. More detailed analysis to follow as soon as we have reliable, verifiable information.
Seoul’s military has been «closely monitoring» and «tracking possible North Korean provocations» with US partners, a spokesman for the army said Tuesday. According to BNO Newsroom, Japan has confirmed the missile launch but did not issue an emergency alert to the country’s residents. Previous tests have featured North Korean missiles flying over Japan. North Korean officials have threatened to strike Guam in the event of a pre-emptive strike by US, South Korean or Japanese forces, but tensions cooled over the past few months as the Trump administration shifted from threatening to attack Pyongyang to urging for diplomacy.
» Diplomacy remains the preferred way» to deal with North Korea, US Defense Secretary James Mattis said October 29.
The launch marks the first time North Korean has provoked the US and regional nations since US President Donald Trump labelled Pyongyang a state sponsor of terrorism.
Professor at Tokyo Institute of Technology: North Korea is constantly upgrading its technology and has now reached a level where, in my estimation, it no longer needs to carry out nuclear detonations to test and develop the relevant weapons.
The US and South Korean militaries are slated to hold large scale military drills from December 4 through December 8. The drills will feature more than 230 allied aircraft swarming around the Korean peninsula.
