(REUTERS): North Korea on Saturday fired a ballistic missile, South Korea’s military said, three days before the inauguration of South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, who has vowed to take a hard line against the Pyongyang.
“North Korea fires at least one projectile into East Sea,” Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said, referring to the Sea of Japan.
Japan’s coast guard, citing information from its Defence Ministry, said that North Korea had launched an object “likely to be a ballistic missile,” and warned its vessels to be aware.
South Korean military said that North Korea fired – what is believed to be an submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) – into the sea off its east coast around 0507 GMT on Saturday from around Sinpo, where North Korea keeps submarines as well as equipment for test-firing SLBMs.
Japan’s coast guard, citing information from its Defence Ministry, said that North Korea had launched an object “likely to be a ballistic missile,” and warned its vessels to be aware.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida ordered officials to prepare for all “unforeseeable situations” and secure the safety of aircraft and ships, but there were no immediate reports of damage. “This is absolutely unacceptable,” Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi told reporters.
The launch is likely the nuclear-armed country’s 15th weapons test so far this year. The US assessed that North Korea was preparing its Punggye-ri nuclear test site and could be ready to conduct a test there as early as this month.
“Instead of accepting invitations to dialogue, the Kim regime appears to be preparing a tactical nuclear warhead test. The timing will depend most on when the underground tunnels and modified device technology are ready,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.
Yoon takes office on Tuesday. US President Joe Biden is to visit South Korea and meet with him on May 21.
Last month, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged to speed up development of his country’s nuclear arsenal. He presided over a huge military parade that displayed intercontinental ballistic missiles as well as what appeared to be SLBMs being carried on trucks and launch vehicles.
