North Korea launches ballistic missile just before US election

North Korea fired several short-range ballistic missiles, South Korea's military said, a day after the country asserted its stance of accelerating its nuclear program.

South Korean people watch news of North Korea's missile launch at a subway station in Seoul.

Yonhap news agency reported that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) launched several short-range ballistic missiles into the sea off its east coast on November 5, just before the US presidential election.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) confirmed the launch and is conducting further analysis. According to NHK, Japanese officials also said North Korea launched another ballistic missile and called it a provocation.

The missile appeared to have landed outside Japan's exclusive economic zone, the report said. The Japanese Coast Guard is directing ships around the country to monitor for updates.

North Korea did not immediately comment on the reports.

Earlier on October 31, North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from the Pyongyang area into the sea.

On November 4, North Korean Ambassador to the United Nations Kim Song said that the country would accelerate the development of its nuclear weapons program to counter "hostile nuclear weapons states."

"The US nuclear threat to [North Korea] has reached a critical point in terms of scale and danger. Due to the US' reckless moves, the situation is potentially approaching the brink of war," Mr. Kim said.

US, South Korean fighter jets hold drills after North Korea launches missile

The statement came just days after North Korea test-fired its first intercontinental ballistic missile this year. The UN Security Council convened a meeting following the launch.

At the meeting, the US accused some countries of shielding North Korea at the United Nations from "greater scrutiny of sanctions violations" and said Pyongyang had been "encouraged to continue advancing its unlawful nuclear, ballistic missile and weapons of mass destruction programs".

In a statement to deter North Korea, the US, South Korea and Japan conducted a joint air force exercise on November 3. The South Korean military said the exercise involved US B-1B bombers, South Korean F-15K and KF-16 fighters and Japanese F-2 fighters, according to AFP.

"The exercise demonstrates the commitment of the ROK-US alliance to strengthen extended deterrence to respond to the growing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea," the JSC stressed.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/trieu-tien-phong-ten-lua-dan-dao-ngay-truoc-them-bau-cu-my-185241105064813427.htm