The Japan Coast Guard announced on January 14 that North Korea appeared to have launched a ballistic missile.
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| NHK reported on January 14 that North Korea's missile appeared to have fallen outside Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). (Source: AP) |
The force cited information from the country's Ministry of Defense saying an "object, possibly a ballistic missile, was launched from North Korea", and warned ships to be cautious.
NHK reported on January 14 that a North Korean missile appeared to have fallen outside Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Earlier in the day, the South Korean military announced that North Korea had launched a ballistic missile toward the sea east of the Korean peninsula.
This is North Korea's first missile launch since it test-fired the Hwasong-18 solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile, considered its most advanced, on December 18. The Hwasong-18 is designed to strike the US mainland.
The January 14 missile launch came days after North Korea fired a barrage of artillery shells near its sea border with South Korea, prompting South Korea to conduct similar drills.
Tensions escalated on the Korean peninsula after Pyongyang launched its first military spy satellite in November 2023.
Experts say North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may raise tensions by testing more missiles to boost his standing in the confrontation with his rivals and influence the outcome of South Korea's parliamentary elections in April and the US presidential election in November.
At a ruling party meeting in late December, Kim Jong Un vowed to expand his nuclear arsenal and launch more spy satellites to counter what he called US-led confrontational moves.
(according to Reuters)
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