The leadership of South Korea and Japan have reported that North Korea has launched a suspected ballistic missile at the Sea of Japan only days before US military exercises and a visit by Vice President Kamala Harris to the area amid regional tensions.
The military of South Korea asserts that North Korea launched at least one unidentified ballistic missile into its eastern sea.
The missile had already fallen, according to Japan’s Coast Guard as well.
The launch coincided with the arrival in South Korea of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and its strike group for a combined military drill between the two nations intended to demonstrate their might against rising North Korean threats.
The American vice president Kamala Harris is scheduled to visit a few days before to this.
North Korea has been testing more than 30 ballistic weapons since the beginning of 2022, including its first intercontinental ballistic missiles since 2017. This is because the country is continuing to build up its military might in the face of a protracted standoff in nuclear negotiations.
After attending the official funeral in Tokyo for the late former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Ms. Harris is scheduled to visit South Korea the following week. The danger from North Korea is anticipated to be a major topic of discussion.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea did not immediately specify the kind of missile or its range on Sunday.
The launch occurred a few days after South Korean authorities claimed to have seen indications that North Korea was getting ready to test a submarine-launched missile.