Key Points
- North Korea’s missile test was detected by South Korea’s military
- Seoul proposed military talks to reduce tensions along its heavily fortified border with North Korea before the missile fire
- Japan also detected the launch, saying the weapon appeared to be a ballistic missile
ISLAMABAD: North Korea fired about a dozen short-range ballistic missiles towards the East Sea on Thursday, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, as tensions between the two Koreas continued to rise over a border dispute.
The missiles were launched from the Wonsan area on North Korea’s east coast around 12:30 pm local time and travelled approximately 250 kilometres, according to the JCS.
The military said it was analysing their specifications and maintaining surveillance for further launches.
According to the JSCS, South Korea was sharing information with the United States and Japan and maintaining its defence readiness.
Japan’s Defence Ministry and Coast Guard also detected the launch. Japanese authorities said the weapon appeared to be a ballistic missile and had fallen into the sea outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
Japan’s exclusive economic zone extends up to 200 nautical miles from its coast. An exclusive economic zone is an area where a country has certain rights regarding resources.
The launch followed Seoul’s offer last week to hold military talks with Pyongyang to address border disagreements and prevent accidental clashes.
Tensions have risen since a landmine explosion in the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), the buffer area separating the two countries, injured three South Korean soldiers on September 21.
A joint South Korean-United Nations investigation concluded that North Korea had planted the mines more than a year earlier. Pyongyang has rejected the accusation and accused Seoul of fabricating the incident.
North Korea has also threatened to prepare loudspeakers for propaganda broadcasts directed at South Korea along the border, while military activity has continued in the area.
The latest launch was North Korea’s first reported ballistic missile test since October 12, when it fired multiple missiles towards the East Sea. North Korean state media subsequently described those weapons as tactical ballistic missiles.
Test follows Trump’s interest in meeting North Korean leader
The tests come as US President Donald Trump has indicated interest in a possible meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
However, Pyongyang has maintained a hard line towards Seoul, suspending most dialogue and cooperation in recent years.
North Korea has been subject to United Nations sanctions since 2006 over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes.
The sanctions aim to restrict its development of weapons that are capable of threatening regional and international security.
Thursday’s launch adds to the military tensions on the Korean peninsula as South Korea continues to seek dialogue, and Pyongyang maintains its weapons development programme.
