North Korea launches suspected missile in 7th test in 2022
World | January 30, 2022 6:39 ISTNorth Korea has been ramping up its testing activity in recent months, including seven rounds of weapons launches so far in 2022.
North Korea has been ramping up its testing activity in recent months, including seven rounds of weapons launches so far in 2022.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the weapons, which were likely short-range, were launched from an eastern coastal area, but it didn’t immediately say how far they flew.
The North’s Foreign Ministry had already warned of stronger and more explicit action after the Biden administration last week imposed fresh sanctions over the North’s continued missile testing activity.
Japan’s Coast Guard issued a statement urging vessels traveling around the Japanese coast to watch out for falling objects but no immediate damage to vessels or aircraft was reported.
Hypersonic weapons, which fly at speeds in excess of Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound, could pose a crucial challenge to missile defenses because of their speed and maneuverability.
Japan's Prime Minister's Office and Defence Ministry said the North Korean weapon was possibly a ballistic missile, but didn't immediately provide more details.
It's the second known test-flight of a hypersonic missile since North Korea first tested such a weapon last September. It wasn't immediately known if both are the exactly same type of hypersonic missile.
The latest launch came after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to further boost his military capability at a high-profile ruling party conference last week.
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The Biden administration’s pullout from Afghanistan underscored a broader shift in U.S. focus away from counterterrorism and so-called rogue states like North Korea and Iran.
The North’s neighbors said Tuesday that they detected the North’s missile firing and said the weapon landed in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.
Ending a monthslong lull in September, North Korea has been ramping up its weapons tests while making conditional peace offers to Seoul.
North Korea last week made offers to improve relations with the South if certain conditions are met, apparently returning to its pattern of mixing weapons demonstrations with peace overtures to wrest outside concessions.
Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said “an unidentified projectile” fired from an inland location flew toward North Korea’s eastern sea Tuesday morning.
In recent months, Kim has warned that North Korea would bolster its nuclear arsenal and introduce more sophisticated weapons systems unless the United States drops its hostile policy.
In a speech at the UN General Assembly earlier this week, South Korean President Moon Jae-in reiterated his calls for the end-of-the-war declaration that he said could help achieve denuclearization and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea has continued testing shorter range weapons threatening U.S. allies South Korea and Japan in an apparent effort to pressure the Biden administration over the stalled diplomacy.
State Dept spokesperson Ned Price told reporters on Wednesday that the US condemns North Korea missile launches, Xinhua news agency reported.
South Korea says it has carried out its first underwater-launched missile test, hours after rival North Korea fired two ballistic missiles toward the sea.
South Korean and US intelligence authorities are analyzing more details about North Korean launches, the joint chiefs’ statement said, adding that South Korea has boosted its anti-North Korea surveillance posture.
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