North Korea launched a ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan on Wednesday, according to South Korea and Japan, in Pyongyang’s second reported weapons test in less than a week.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile was detected at about 6:00am local time, or 21:00 GMT on Tuesday, after being launched from the Wonsan area. South Korea said it flew more than 700km (435 miles).
What South Korea and Japan reported
South Korea said it had increased its surveillance posture and was closely exchanging information about the launch with the United States and Japan. The Joint Chiefs of Staff referred to the body of water as the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan.
Japan’s Defence Ministry said on social media that the suspected ballistic missile had already fallen, but it did not provide further details.
The timing of the launch
The launch came as Seoul and Washington announced plans for their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military drills. The training is scheduled to begin on August 17 and run for 11 days.
South Korea, the United States and Japan detected another short-range ballistic missile launch from North Korea on August 6. That was Pyongyang’s first reported ballistic weapons testing activity since late June, although North Korea did not confirm that launch.
What the exercises involve
South Korea’s military said the scale of Ulchi Freedom Shield would be similar to previous years, with 18,000 South Korean soldiers taking part. Seoul and Washington have repeatedly described the drills as defensive.
North Korea has previously denounced the exercises as a rehearsal for invasion and responded with weapons tests and harsh rhetoric. Lim Eul-chul, a North Korea expert at Kyungnam University, said the latest launch showed Pyongyang was closely watching the upcoming drills and could stage another provocation if it considered one necessary.
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