The South Korean military reported that North Korea launched an unidentified ballistic missile on Monday, its second in less than 48 hours and a day after joint US-South Korean manoeuvres.
According to the official Yonhap news agency, Seoul’s Joint Chief of Staff stated that North Korea launched an unidentified ballistic missile on Monday into the East Sea, often known as the Sea of Japan.
On Monday morning, the prime minister of Japan’s office tweeted, “North Korea has launched a suspected ballistic missile.”
The rocket “appears to have already fallen,” the Japanese Coastguard said shortly after, without offering any other information.
In reaction to a North Korean ICBM launch the previous day, the United States and South Korea conducted combined air drills on Sunday using a strategic bomber and stealth fighter jets.
The ICBM, according to Japan, flew for 66 minutes before landing in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Later, North Korea claimed that the Hwasong-15 missile fired on Saturday was a part of a “surprise” exercise to show Pyongyang’s capability to conduct a “fatal nuclear response.”
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