N. Korea Launches New Ballistic Missile Toward East Sea
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) confirmed the launch but did not provide further details, media reported.
Japan’s Prime Minister’s Office also verified the missile launch. Officials said Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has “instructed officials to dedicate maximum effort to gathering and analyzing information and to provide the public with timely and appropriate updates.” The office added that “all necessary measures are being taken to ensure the safety of aircraft, vessels, and other assets, while maintaining full readiness for contingencies and precautionary response actions.”
Earlier Wednesday, South Korea’s military reported that North Korea had fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, marking the fourth confirmed missile launch by Pyongyang this year. According to the JCS, the missiles were launched from the Wonsan area and traveled roughly 240 kilometers (149 miles).
The launches occurred a day after North Korea attempted to fire an unidentified projectile from Pyongyang, which reportedly failed shortly after takeoff.
“Our military is closely monitoring North Korea’s movements under a robust South Korea–U.S. combined defense posture and maintains readiness to respond to any provocation,” the JCS said in a statement, noting that intelligence agencies in both countries are sharing information closely.
The consecutive missile launches came after remarks by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who expressed concern earlier this week over unauthorized civilian drone flights into North Korea. He warned that such incidents could heighten military tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
In response, Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, described Lee’s comments as “frank” but cautioned Seoul against what she called “reckless provocation,” urging restraint and a halt to actions that could escalate tensions.
North Korea previously carried out similar missile launches on March 14, coinciding with joint military exercises by South Korea and the United States. State media reported that the drills included large-caliber, precision multiple rocket launchers.
Pyongyang has yet to release an official statement regarding this week’s launches.
The US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) said on Tuesday that it is closely monitoring multiple ballistic missile launches conducted by North Korea on April 7-8. In a statement, the command confirmed it is “aware of the missile launches” and is consulting closely with regional allies and partners in response.
“Based on current assessments, this event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies,” USINDOPACOM added, reiterating that the United States remains committed to defending the homeland and supporting its allies in the Indo-Pacific region.
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