ISLAMABAD/SEOUL: North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) just hours before the leaders of South Korea and Japan met for landmark talks.
South Korean and Japanese officials confirmed the long-range missile’s launch on Thursday morning.
It flew about 1,000km, landing in waters west of Japan. It is Pyongyang’s fourth long range missile launch in a week, as the United States (US) and South Korea hold joint navy drills.
The other missiles launched last Thursday, Saturday, and Monday were short-range ballistic missiles.
North Korea’s ramped-up long range missile activity will most likely be on the agenda when South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol meets Japan’s PM Fumio Kishida in Tokyo later Thursday, the first such visit in 12 years.
Since Monday, the United States and South Korea have been carrying out drills around the Korean peninsula- the allies’ most significant in five years. N. Korea has repeatedly said it sees such exercises as a provocation.
Thursday’s missile was fired at 07:10 from Pyongyang on the east coast of North Korea, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
Japan on long range missiles
Japan’s defence ministry confirmed it as an ICBM type and said it flew higher than 6,000kms for about 70 minutes. The ministry said it landed at about 08:20 outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
Japan officials have not reported any harm from the missile. Following Thursday’s launch, Yoon ordered his country’s military to continue with the joint United States exercises as planned.
He said Pyongyang would pay for its “reckless provocations,”
N. Korea last fired an ICBM less than a month ago, which sparked a United Nations (UN) emergency meeting and condemnation from G7 countries.
Intercontinental ballistic missiles are particularly worrying because of their long range. Experts have said such missiles launched from N. Korea could reach the mainland United States.
Pyongyang is believed to have developed an intercontinental ballistic missile carrying multiple warheads.
The escalation in N. Korean aggression over the past year is one of the central subjects to discuss at the Japan meeting on Thursday.
Many hope the meeting, which has been hailed as a “milestone” in the rapprochement of Japan and South Korea, will result in closer security ties and armed forces cooperation between the two nations.
Both nations said they would convene their national security council following Thursday’s missile launch.
In 2022, N. Korea launched more than 90 missiles, the most it has ever fired in a year – despite being subject to sanctions from the United Nations (UN), the United States (US), the European Union (EU), and its neighbouring countries.
N. Korea has become more assertive in its nuclear strategy under Kim Jong-un, who has overseen much of the recent development of its weapons programme, and four of the six nuclear tests so far.
