Seoul, Jan 5, (dpa/GNA) – North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the sea on Wednesday, the US military said, marking the first such launch in two months and a display of defiance toward the international community as 2022 gets under way.
The missile launch, which is prohibited by UN resolutions, was condemned by the United States and neighbors in East Asia.
The US Indo-Pacific Command said it once again highlighted “the destabilizing impact” of Pyongyang’s illicit weapons programme.
“There is a fear that tensions will rise again,” South Korean President Moon Jae In said while at a ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of a railway on the inter-Korean border, according to his office.
Moon expressed hope that the new line between Gangneung and the border city of Jejin, would one day become part of an inter-Korean railway network.
That goal however remains far from reality, as North Korea continues its military provocations.
Pyongyang has for years worked on missiles capable of being equipped with nuclear warheads. The world has responded with sanctions that seem to have done little to check ruler, Kim Jong Un’s ambitions.
Japanese Defence Minister Kishi Nobuo said that Wednesday’s missile flew about 500 kilometers before crashing into the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, according to broadcaster NHK.
According to the South Korean military, the missile was fired in the northern province of Jagang near the border with China.
Last year, North Korea said it had successfully tested long-range cruise missiles and fired short-range missiles from a train. In addition, a newly developed hypersonic missile is said to have been tested.
Before Wednesday, North Korea had last tested a ballistic missile in October. State media said at the time it was a “new type” that could be fired from a submerged submarine.
GNA