North Korea ‘fires ballistic missile towards the Sea of Japan’ ahead of Vice President Harris’ visit
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North Korea ‘fires ballistic missile towards Sea of Japan’: Kim Jong Un ‘tests missile’ ahead of US exercises and Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit to region amid tensions
- North Korea allegedly fired a ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan
- It comes days before a scheduled visit by US Vice President Kamala Harris
- The projectile has already fallen, according to the Japanese coast guard
- North Korea has tested record number of ballistic weapons since early 2022
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North Korea has fired a suspected ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan just days before US military exercises and a visit by Vice President Kamala Harris to the region amid regional tensions, South Korea and its leadership said of Japan.
South Korea’s military has claimed that North Korea fired at least one unidentified ballistic missile into the eastern sea.
Since early 2022, North Korea has ramped up its testing activities at a record pace — testing more than 30 ballistic weapons, including the first intercontinental ballistic missiles since 2017 — as it continues to expand its military capabilities amid a protracted standoff in nuclear diplomacy.
The launch came as the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and its strike group arrived in South Korea for the two countries’ joint military exercise to demonstrate their strength against growing North Korean threats.
It comes just days before a scheduled visit by US Vice President Kamala Harris.
A stock image of a ballistic missile previously used in a test fire of what state media reported as a North Korean ‘new type’ of intercontinental ballistic missiles
The threat from North Korea is expected to be a major agenda when Ms. Harris visits South Korea next week after attending the Tokyo state funeral of assassinated former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
The Japanese Coast Guard also said the projectile had already fallen.
South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff did not immediately say on Sunday what kind of missile it was or how far it flew.
The launch comes days after South Korean officials said they discovered signs that North Korea was preparing to test a missile designed to be fired by submarines, South Korea-based Yonhap news agency reported.
US Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to visit South Korea next week, where the threat from North Korea will be a key topic of conversation
The South Korean military discovered preparations this week in Sinpo, in North Korea’s South Hamgyong province, Yonhap reported, citing an unnamed military source.
This is in line with a US think tank’s report this week, which cited commercial satellite imagery.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said in a statement from the presidential office on Saturday that he was aware of the moves regarding possible North Korean provocations, including the possibility of submarine-launched ballistic missiles.
Since early 2022, North Korea has ramped up its testing activities at a record pace — testing more than 30 ballistic weapons, including the first intercontinental ballistic missiles since 2017
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol is aware of signs and movements indicating North Korean provocations, including SLBMs, the presidential office said in a statement on Saturday.
US Vice President Harris will visit the region next week and meet with the leaders of Japan and South Korea.
On Friday, a senior US government official said a nuclear test or other provocation was possible during the vice president’s trip.
The spokesperson added that they had no predictions or announcements to make.